Second Division League

Levin Daily Chronicle, 18 May 1918, Page 3

Second Division League

I I LEVIN MEMBERS DISCUSS i PROBLEMS. About forty members "of the Levin branch of the Second Division League attended the public meeting m the (.'entury Hall on Thursday evening to discuss matters of interest to reservists. In the absence of the president, Mr W. Thomson was voted to the chair. A brief resume of the work of the committee was given by tinSecretary (Mi - R. il. Billons), which siiowed that th(> membership of the branch was now Ll-"> and that so far only three members had been passed as fit for active service in Classes A and B, and only one member of the League Mas in camp. The duties of the branch had been made light by the splendid work of the Dominion executive which seemed to cover every need of. the Second Division reservist. ;

On the motion of the chairman the following resolution was carried with only one dissentient:

"That this meeting loyally reaffirms its determination to assist the Government to bring the war to a successful conclusion."

It was decided that the branch be represented at the Dominion Conference next week, the- matter being left to the President and Secretary to arrange. RELIGIOUS OBJECTORS.

The Chairman introduced the matter of the treatment accorded to religious objectors by moving the following motion: "That this meeting of Second Division Reservists strongly objects to the farcical method of treating religious objectors, considering that the ahsurdly easy conditions imposed on them are at once an insult to the intelligence of the community and a standing invitation to shirkers to endeavour to evade military service. Believing that equality of sacrifice should be the minimum demanded from all men and especially from those who refuse to defend their women and children, this meeting calls on the Government to And the present farce and exact from these objectors some more adequate share in the defence of the Empire and the Dominion under which they enjoy freedom of thought, liberty and justice."

Mr Thomson declared that the present position was absurd. These men, on the score of religion, would not fighl. a:id were given what was alleged to be noncombatant work. They appeared to work about live days a week, while a returned solxlier on the Farm, receiving the same pay, worked seven days a. week. They were given all the privileges of soldiers without any of the hardships. .Recently a dental officer had been sent up from camp to attend to their teeth. They received frequent week-end leave, and now Ihcj-e was a shortage of houses in Weraroa because many of their families had moved here <md and wanted to live near the Centra] Development Farm. This was a serious matter for , Second .Division Reservists as it might mean that some of their families would be iet't without houses. The. speaker said that .one section of the objectors had been in the habit of meeting in one of the local hall*, but the owners now declined to let it to them any longer. It would be interesting to know why. Mr Aitken seconded the motion.

Mr McAllister wanted to know whether the motion included conscientious objectors, and whether the League would demand the same treatment for Paddy Webb and others as they were a slang for religious objectors.

He moved an amendment in this direction which was rejected by a large majority. The motion was then put and carried uuauimously, ihe delegate to the conference being instructed to bring the matter up there.

WORK FOR REPATRIATED MEN.

T'ae Secretary moved: Thai to prevent the unemployment of large bodies of repatriated men at the conclusion of the war, all local bodies and Patriotic Societies be urged immediately to set up committees to arrange schemes of work in their disiricts to be put in operation as soon as peace is declared, thus supplementing whatever work the Government may provide. II was explained lliat so far nothing had been done, either by the Government or the local bodies to prepare for the return of the men. They had no guarantee that the war would last a long time, and should the men be lauded back before proper schemes of work were arranged serious difficulties might arise. Mr Hudson seconded the motion which was carried. COST OF LIVING. Mr R. Smith asked if a motion could not be carried regarding the cost of living. ft was one of the greatest problems New Zealand had to face and we were now in a worse position than ever before. The cost of living was steadily going up. The following remit from the Palmerston branch was endorsed: That in the opinion of this branch the Conference should give its earnest consideration to the quest ion of the cost of living, seeing that the purchasing power of a sovereign has depreciated to the extent of 7s in the period of the war that has passd, we are of the opinion that it may still further depreciate by (he time the reservist with four children ■ i more is sent on active service. AX INJUSTICE. Mr C. S.lveedwell moved : That this branch of the League urge the National Executive to use every means to have the present unjust ruling of the Defence Department removed whereby .the dependants of a soldier are made to slitter for any offence the sol dier may happen to com mil. Mi Keeilwell said a soldier may have committed some slight offence at the frorit. perhaps in ignorance, and liis dependants suffered for it.

I A case had come under his notice i where a widowed mother had had I her allowance stopped because her son had stayed away without leave. This was most unjust and lie hoped the conference would take up the matter and press it home. On the motion of Mr Ivillecn it was resolved: "That this meeting urgently requests the Government to remit the sentences passed oil Messrs Hunter, Langley and Flood at Christchurch on the ground that they were calculated to produce a feeling of resentment and to lessen public faith in the fairness of the authorities."