SECOND DIVISION LEAGUE.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 20 October 1917, Page 3

SECOND DIVISION LEAGUE.

BRANCH FORMED IN LEVIN

There was a fair attendance of those interested, including one or two ladies, at the Century Hall last evening to hear Mr R. A. Armstrong, President of the Wellington branch, explain the aims and objects of the Second Division League. As a result of the meeting a Levin branch was formed and over 50 members en-i rolled on the spot. The Mayor (Mr Blenkhorn) occupied the chair, and, in introducing Mr Armstrong, said the latter had come to Levin at great personal inconvenience' to himself He-was one of the initiators of the League, and had been instrumental in bringing about many reforms. Mr Armstrong, who was received with applause, after expressing his pleasure at , being present, read the aims and objects of the League, which, he said, showed that it was not in any way a league of shirkers. They were out to do their share. But the married man had a double duty. His first duty was to his wife and family—to see that they were properly provided for—then came his duty to the State. There were 200 branches of the League in New Zealand, with a membership of 60,000. The first principle the League contended for was the full responsibility for a recruit should be taken by the Government directly he entered camp. This was at fir3t declined by the Government, but by battling along they %ad got the principle embodied in an act of Parliament. Then it was contended that pensions should be granted as by right, with a, definite scale of injuries with definite compensation, as had been adopted in England. This was also objected to by the Defence Minister, but the League again fought and won. Now a soldier had a right to claim if he loses one finger of hand a certain definite amount, or if he is totf.lly incapacitated a t certain definite amount also. Mr Armstrong gave instances of how the League, in this direction, had gained further concessions by agitating. Another great principle advocated was that every reservist should have definite notice of medical examination at a sufficiently early period. The medical test was the only way by which a man could tell whether he was going into camp or not. Three months' notice was demanded. He e again objections were raised by the Goeernment, but again the League fought, and, while it did not get all it wanted, it got a definite assurance that a man would not be sent into camp for three months after the ballot. What the League were now battling for was that there should be no further delay than a fortnight after the ballot in the medical examination of Second Bivision men.

Mr Armstrong declared his strong conviction that the Second Division would certainly see active service, and he declared that politicians had been lulling the peoble into a sense of false security by suggesting that tne married men would ndt see the firing litie. It was very wrong that that false hope should be held out. "There is no married man who is^ not■ •prepared to go and play his part, provided his wife and family are properly provided for." (Hear, h*ar.) Mr Armstrong pointed out that the First Division were benefiting in many ways by the work of the Second Division League, so that its • aimß were not altogether selfish. If the Second Division had liked, it could have sat tight and let another movement grow that had for its object the stopping of any more men going to the front from New Zealand. But the League did not want to shirk its duty, for it desired to see every man take his place, provided his dependents were properly cared for. Then, there was the case of the calling up of the 19-year-old boys, which was so strenuously objected to by the League. Another thing the League was fighting for was that the wives and children of soldiers should not be punished for the mieconduct of soldiers. It was an iniquitous thing that this should be so. A man should be made to suffer for his misdeeds, but why should the miserable pittance allowed to his dependents be taken from them. Dealing with the Pensions Bill, Mr Armstrong said it was a great advance on the previous provisions, mainly owing to the fact that Parliament had been educated by the League. The amounts were not all that had been asked for, but it the Leagues acted in conjunction they could so place their claims before the Pensions Board that the extra allowances provided for could be obtained. Examples were quoted showing the necessity for the existence of the League when the question of claiming pensions came to be decided. The League had secured also further concessions for single soldiers totally or partially incapacitated. So far as pensions were concerned, the Government had gone t a long way, but not the whole. There was, however, another session of Parliament to come, and by then the League hoped to be able to convince the Legislature' of the fairness of its claims. Dealing -with the allowances, Mr Armstrong said they had a different problem to face. He quoted the case of allowances to a widowed mother, showing that the total weekly amount it was possible for such a person to receive was 20s 6d, although the Government admitted in the Pensions Bill that the widowed mother of a dead soldier needed 30s per week to live on. In the case of children the same anomaly existed. An eloquent peroration brought a most telling spcech to a close, ana Mr Armstrong- resumed his seat amid prolonged applause. A BRANCH FORMED. Mr D. W. Matheson then moved, and Mr C. S." Keed well seconded: " That a Levin branch of the Second Division Lehgue be formed, that members be enrolled forthwith, the subscription to be 2s 6d, which will include the wife of a married reeervist."—This motion was carried unanimously. Mr A. J. Harding was appointed Secretary unanimously. Mr W. Bull moved, and it was carried : That a Committee of 10 members, including chairman and secretary, be set up to further the aims and objects of the League, and that five constitute a quorum of all meetings. , On th 6 motion of Mr Keedwell, it was unanimously decided : —That this meeting of residents of Levin urges on the Government the necessity of reconsidering the scale cf separation allowance# for the dependents of soldiers, as in the opinion of the meeting the proposal of the Second Division League of 6s per day for the wife "and Is 6d per day for each child is a minimum allowance to secure decent conditions of living."

Ths following committee was set up:--Messrs W. Thomson, D. Matheson, F. C. Remington, G. Thompson, K. Aitken,C. S. Keedwell, D. P. Porteous, R. H. Billens, aud J. M. Milne. . Votes of thanks to the speaker and the Mayor and the singing of the National Anthem brought the meeting to a close.

A short meeting of the committee was held afterwards when a course of action wsis deciqed on. Mr D. Mathcson was elected chairman.