THE SECOND DIVISION LEAGUE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 211, 25 May 1918, Page 8

THE SECOND DIVISION LEAGUE

Sir,—l am glad to see that the Second Division League is being adversely criticised as it deserves, but 1 am inclined to think its extraordinary methods are taken too seriously. Some lime ago the Civil Service Association adopted very similar tactics, at least a small portion of it did, they, only\ very sinail part of the inhabitants of the Dominion, wanting special treatment at the expense of others. . Now the Second Division League, under its wonderful head, Mr. Armstrong (.who ' 8 he?) is putting forward most laughable and impertinent mutter, it passes all sorts of resolutions traversing the action of the Government, as if the Government knew nothing and cared less tor our soldiers and their dependants, for whom they have made good and liberal provision. One of the members of the league, at the meeting held on May 14, had the impertinence to move that the league should demand a general election if its demands were not acceded to. And members talk of the irreducible minimum of the rates of pay and allowances demanded by them, and say that the league would devise means of raising by taxation the money required to provide fully for their wives and childicn. Think of this; the league, among other things, is to meddle with taxation—isn't it'silly! Is every group of individuals in the Dominion to liave all its separate wants supplied by its own taxation? Verily, the league is suffering from ewelled head and thinks itself more capable of managing the Dominion than the National Ministry. But I must qualify this. I cannot heip thinking that all the fuss made is made be only a part of the league, and tiiat n small one, nnd that the majority are more sane and loyal than 1 the noisy ones who follow Mr. Armstrong. Who is he? I'hope he speaks for what is not an irreducible minimum, but a minimum that after he has made a little more foolish noise will be reduced by the defection of the more eensible of his present followers.—l am, etc., CHAS. P. rOWLES. May 22, 1918.