DEFENCE MINISTER & SECOND DIVISION LEAGUE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 227, 13 June 1918, Page 8

DEFENCE MINISTER & SECOND DIVISION LEAGUE

JiGPIA" TO MR. AItMSTRONG. A letier sent by the Minister of Defence, Sir James Allen, to llr. If. A. Armstrong, explains that a visit to Auckland delayed the reply lo the Second Division League's letter of May 30, in which, the Minister conveyed tho Government's attitude in regard to the claims submit! cd by a deputation of league delegates. In his letter of June 10, Sir James Allen states; —"Your executive appears to be determined to ignore the crucial fact that the Soldiers' Financial Assistance Jiegiihtioris were brought into operation to prevent undue financial hardship by reason of service with the Kxpediliouary I'oree, and for no other purpose.

"I have every warrant for staling that some, of the delegates who attended the recent conference wore under an entire misapprehension as to the policy adopted by Hie Soldiers' Financial Assistance Hoard. The position was not understood by many of them, and in conlirmation'let me quote the following extract from a letter dated May 2", 1018, from the lion, secretary of tiie council of the Canterbury Second Division Leagues ilegsrding the net income allowed to wives under the financial Assistance Board's scheme, I believe that members of the league generally are finite under a misapprehension as to the policy of the board. .Rightly or wrongly, members have taken the mto be a ll,it rate applied to all wives. If this is so I cannot see the necessity uf I'm; applicant stating his premobilisation income. "lour representative on the .Soldiers' .Financial Assistance Board has since written me advising that after consultation with his colleagues of the executive of tho Second Division League the latter feels compelled to withdraw its representative from the board aud tendering his resignation in accwdaneo with its wish. 1 very much .appreciate Mr. 'Mitchell's work as a member of the board, and would have been sorry indeed if his resignation, as'the league's icprcsentalive had meant also the permanent loss of .his .services on the board. It is particularly gratifying- to me, therefore, to know that he is willing to continue to act on the board in his private capacity as a citizen and a member uf the Second Division, being satisfied I lint tho board is administering the regulations in a fair and equitable spirit.

"Tho executive is quite wrong in suggesting that the compulsory allotment of ;is. lid. per day has only been adopted since the commencement of mobilisation of the the Second Division. JI has been in operation since the early part: of 1917, and as I have already told you it applies equally to First and Second Division soldiers.

"The request Mint all sine die exemptions be reviewed immediately by boards to he specially set up for the purpose, and that in future physical fitness bthe only factor to determine whether or not men shall serve iu the Military Forces except in the cases of men permanently engaged in essentiai national work cannot be given ell'eet to without an amendment of the Military Service Act. T do not, however, consider ''such :iii amendment necessary or desirable. The Military Service Boards are doing splendid nork, and 1 am «urt> the public generally have every confidence in their judgment and impartiality, as also have I.

"Tim Government lias no intention to iillinv men of military aj:e In be brought into New Zealand from other countries lo take the place of men called up for service under llio Military Service Act. The present pulicy is lo enrol in tin; register of the Expeditionary Force Heserve any man who ha? resided and worked in (lie Dominion for more than nix months, and the question of residence and liability of service uni't I hen be -ettled by the Military Service Hoard 011 appeal. "The protection of business.* has alicady been fully discussed with the Xation.il Eflicieucy Hoard, and liope to be able to make a definite announcement on the subject in the 'ie:u future."