SECOND DIVISION LEAGUE.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 17 November 1917, Page 3

SECOND DIVISION LEAGUE.

1 ADIiRESS BY Mil C. H. BURNETT. ; I There was a very good; attendance of members of the Second Division League in the .school last evening to hear Mr C. H. Burnett, of Wanganui deliver an address on the League's ao/x)v_ itios. Mr D. Matheson (president of the League) occupied the chair and briefly introduced the speaker lor the evening. >M r Burnett, in opening, regretted the nhseucc of the ladies, who were concerned nioi'o than anybody else in what /:he League stood for. After tracing the history of the movement the speak, or pointed out that what the League had contended for was not a wage for the soldier—no onei could fix that. What ip really aimed at was to fix a fair reparation allowance for the wives of soldiers, and this the League at its last conference, fixed at 6s per day. Unfortunately the Government liadi decided that 3s per clay was sufficient. Mr | Burneti'; claimed that married men who went with the .First Division should he paid retrospectively. The Govern- ! ment bad accepted their service and shouldl be. prepared to pay the same , rates as the Second Division men Tern'ved. Tn the matter of pensions Mr BurnejVt claimed that the Second [Division League could congratulate itself on what it had: achieved. The British pension scheme had lieen brought before Mr Massev by the League and as a result its principles liiad been incorporated in the New Zealand pensions scheme. Pensions by right and by schedule had thus been obtained. The Pensions Board as set up by the Acfi was criticised and' Mr Burnett said that Sir James Allen had definitely promised that a returned soldier would he one of the members, but this liad not been done. Boy officers were also objected to and 'f'Jhe League had demanded that none be appointed over the heads of men of maturer years.

The neglect of the Government to organise the country's industries was condemned by Mr Burnett who said every farmer in this conmbry should be conscripted/ as a, soldier for the purpose of wheat-growing. "We must have bread," added the speaker who declared that wheat-growing was a profitable business. He had had twenty years; oxperience as a, practical farmer and said he had grown wheat profitably for 2s fid per bushel. His brother off the same farm had recently received 6s per bushel iandl had handed his excess profits amounting to £280 to the "Wanganni Patriotic Society. Mr Burnett roundly condemned the refusal of the Government to conscript wealth. They haggled! over a paltry 3s a day for the wives of soldiers and 3d a dny for their children when the country was rolling iin wealth. The principle for which the Second Division League stood wars equality of sacri_ fiee. "You take a man by the scruff of the. neok and push him into the firing line," said the speaker ; "but the man with Ahe wealth must not be touched. He made his money under the protection of the Union Jaok and he should be made to pay for the privilege." The speaker quoted figures showing tho enormous, increase in the wealth of the country since the outbreak of the war and contended In view of iMils that the. League was quite justified in the demands it had made.

An interesting discussion followed, questions being directed as to how tho 'League was to enforce Its demands without becoming a political organisation, and eventually it was decidcd 'bo send the following resolution to Mr W. H. Field, M.P.

"That this meeting of Second Division reservists urge upon Mr Field the necessity of assisting in every possible wny the demands of the Second Division League."

Mr Harding (secretary) briefly outlined the activities of the local branch and statcdl a'mid; applause that the membership now numbered 103.

The president (Mr D. Matheson) then announced that as the committee considered it was not sufficiently representative' iit had decided to resign.

A re-election took place when the following committee was elected: —Messrs D. Matheson, W. Hughes, H. D. Porteous. J. M. Milne, C. S. Keedwell, R. Smith, T. Broome. W. Thomson, GTliompson and R. H. Billens. Mr Harding, the secretary, resigned his position and many expressions of regret were voised by members. His place will he filled by a pointed later. A hearty vote of thanks to Mi' B.nne.tt for his address was passed.