THE LEAGUE'S DEFINED POLICY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 193, 4 May 1918, Page 2

THE LEAGUE'S DEFINED POLICY

STATEMENT Hl' THE J.'J!ESIDJ3IvT. Tim national, president of tho Second Division J.eagiio, Mr. E. A. Armstrong, has dispatched tho following telegram to Mr. 11. J; Goodman, provincial representative for Canterbury, as a result of tho meeting held in Christclwrch on Thursday :—"liefer you to constitution federation objccts-(a) To assist the .Government (o bring Ihd war to a victorious conclusion, and to secure by eonslicutionnl methods the conservation oi the pcnernl welfare of all soldiers and their dependants in-New Zealand; also clause U (providing that 'this constitution and rules shall not be altered, amended, or added to, except at tho annual conferonce,' and that' thero must be thirty days' notice of any such proposed alterations). Recent determinations therefore unconstitutional. Look to you to maintain hold of the original Chnstcburcn League in accordance with, constitution. Let extremists hive off and form new organisation for their purposes if they J wish, but national .xecutive will only rficosniso those standing by constitution. Mr. Armstrong, in handing this telegram to the Press, stated that the nafcionul executive was determined to maini tain the league's defined policy of loyally assisting the Government to carry on I to the fullest extent possible New Zealand's part in the war. , He was confident from messag&s received that the leagues throughout New Zealand were in support of this attitude, and criticism of tho Government for its' administration must never be "onfused with_ the spirit recently shown by a section in Christchurch. At the first meeting held in Wellington he had stated that the league would bo no place for anti-mili-tarists and shirkers, and those who had loyally stood by tho league in its great I national' work of securing adequate con- ! ditions of ■ service would not for one j moment allo'.>; such influences to lake i control. I NEW PLYMOUTH RESOLUTIONS. By TelcEranh—l'ress Association. New Plymouth, May 3. At a large meeting of Second Division reservists to-night resolutions were carried that in view of the action taken by small sections of the Christchurch Second Division League, this meeting affirms the object of the league in assisting tho Government to bring tho war to a victorious conclusion, and to renew by constitutional methods tho conservation of tho general welfare of the soldiers and their dependants, also that while thankI ing the Government for meeting the I'league's claim regarding children, rcaffirms tho urgent necessity of increasing wives' separation allowances to Gs. per day and ensuring that the Second Division soldier shall be placed in the same position as the single soldier regarding his pay. flid meeting also passed a reI solution that in *iew of the altered conI ditions of the war, the Government be • called upon to review tho 8000 odd oxonip- '; tions of fit men granted to date, with I a view to exemptions only being granted to those engaged in essential food proI duotiou and war work; also to show energy und determination in so organising industry that militarily unfit met of" the I'irit and Second Divisions be trained to tnko the places of fit exempted also that retired farmers throughout tho Dominion be organised to release lit men l'r'om farms.

KESOLUTIONS OF WAIMATB BRANCH. Dy Telcgriipli— l'l'osa Association. Wai mate, Hay 3. A crowded meeting of the Second Division League , passed a resolution dissociating itself from the resolution passed in Christclmrch on Sunday night. It was also resolved that certain names of Vast Uivisinn reservists in.AVnimnto with Bine dio adjournments be.-forwarded to Sir .lames Allen, us in the opinion of the meeting they had been unwarrantably exempted. ; It was further resolved to roll on the Government to conscript, thb labour of any medically fit. reservist of enemy ex-' traction whoso alleged sympathies with ihe enemy have been taken by Appeal ISonrds as'sufficient grounds for their not being sent to ,camp.