FINANCIAL AID

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 141, 4 March 1918, Page 6

FINANCIAL AID

Sir,—The more the Second Division get the more they seem to / It seems impossible to satisfy them. While on tho one haud, Mr. Armstrong is reported in your Tuesday's issue as saying that "so far as the league was concerned, there no misunderstanding as to the limitations created by private income, etc. It had never been suggested by the league that the Government should pay a man's obligations when possession of private means already brought him iu n substantial income," yes in the same issue, in another column reporting a meeting of the Featherston branch, we have his right-hand man, Mr. A. C. Holms, urging that "as far as pre-war liabilities are concerned grants should he made by right, irrespective of income." Some misunderstanding here, surely, or has Mr. Holms let the cat out of the bag a little prematurely? Mr. Holm's resolution is reported -as being carried unanimously, which once again goes to show that t - ny extiavagant motion, when moved by a man who can talk, is practically certain of being carried at a Second Division League meeting. The Minister of Defence clearly showed that many of the cases cited by the league were caused by the applicants tiiemselves sonding in incorrect applications. Is it not possible for the league to sift these alleged cases of hardship down to bedrock-before publishing details which a little investigation would have shown 'm a different light. In this connection I think the Minister of Defence was justified in his remarks that the league was not playing the game. What objection have they got to bringing these cases privately under I lie notice of the Minister of Defence for mutual investigation and adjustment, and not in any spirit of antagonism? But the league'apparently loves the limelight, so they give their cases a good start in the Press, knowing tliat the explanation must follow a few laps behind. Come on, Second Division, play the game: if you fight the Germans half as well as you fight for money you will soon have your headouart'ers in Berlin. But plsy fiiir.—' I am. etc., RESERVIST.