Hokitika Guardian & Evening & Star THURSDAY, SEPT. 20, 1917. FOR THE FELLOWS WHO FIGHT.

Hokitika Guardian, 20 September 1917, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening & Star THURSDAY, SEPT. 20, 1917. FOR THE FELLOWS WHO FIGHT.

•Tub experience 01~ three y muh of \v«ir must have brought homo .o the general pub'Jc Mint the follows wfio go off to do l.ht' lighting should ho ~<4l cared for in every respect by the State authorities. Experience has shown, and general knowledge has made clear, the fact, that Now .Zealand as a country is I well able to do the right thing for the j men on service. We. are on.the eve | i.f ( al!ing up the Second Division, amt,’ though this event lias been in sight. J for a long time the position of the ; country towards these men is still undetermined. Considering the way we have treated the men win. have served | already, the Second Divi; on Longue is wise to press for a decision in advance of taking up service. The Government have not the soft heart that some people think, however, sympathetically Cabinet Ministers speak at times. In this circumstance, no fair-minded man can deny the justice of the contention of the executive of the Second Division League, who waited as a - deputation on the Minister of Finance on Friday evening, that their demands should be dealt with by Parliament before the men are balloted for. Tt is, clearly, most unfair that a man should be called for active service before lie knows what provision the State will make as a matter of right and justice not of charity, for himself mid for those near and dear to him. The men of the Second Division have every right to demand adequate pay for themselves, and really adequate separation allowances for their wives; also that the children whom they will leave behind will not he treated as paupers, nor looked upon ats objects of charity, but shall be treated as wards of the State and have due and proper provision made for them. The men very rightly feel that the whole country hacks them up in these demands. The whole country, assuredly, will also sympathise with, and support the further demands of the Second Division League;’ (1) That they 'shall have three dear i< on tbs’ notice after the medical examination before being called into camp; (2) that from the moment a man parades in camp, all the allowances flue to him. and his dependents for disablement or otherwise should be theirs of right, even in the ease of suicide in camp; ami (3) that a man should receive a definite pension for a definite injury, as under tho British pension scheme. It is under the result of tho medical examiuation that really decides whether a man i* to go on active service or not; and three months is hardly too long an interval lo allow him to adjust his business and his domestic affairs. To allow such an interval will not save the business and industry of the country from much disorganisation, but will also save the men and their wives and families from mu •!< unnecessary domestic worry; while the justice of the. other demands is also clear. Sir Joseph Ward, ’.cough frankly saying that it might not be possible to grant all that the deputation asked for—that, even with willing hearts, thore. would bo some difficulties in the wav, assured them that the will was there to do it, and the Government a wore prepared to mako the position thoroughly satisfactory foi the men of the Second Division. An effort was being made, he said, to see that they would know the whole of the Government's proposals before the first ballot was held. He promised to discuss the question of pay and allowances with the Minister for Defence and that it would he very fully discussed 111 Cabinet; a‘nd he undertook to convey to the Prime Minister, so that it could be brought up for consideration in Cabinet, Mr. Wilford’s statesmanlike suggestion that the question of pay, pensions, and allowances should be dealt with at a round-table conference between members of Parliament, and the Government, not in a secret session of Cabinet, not by an acrimonious debate in the House.