SECOND DIVISION LEAGUE.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 June 1917, Page 6

SECOND DIVISION LEAGUE.

ENEMY ALIENS AND PROPERTY I PURCHASE. SOME STRONG CRITICISM. A general meeting of members of the Aew Plymouth Second Division League «as held m the Soldiers' Club on Thursday night. About TO were present, and tlio proßidont (Mr. J. S. S. Medley) occupied the chair.

Ihe chairman said the meeting had been called for a tivo-fold purpose; in the first place, to enrol members and to explain the objects of the league to those as yet unacquainted with themand in the second place, to furtfter emphasise the fact that the members were no unwilling to go to the front, not unwilling to fight, but that if they did »o proper provision should be made for their dependents mid proper pav for the men. Leagues had been formed'in Dunedin, Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch and elsewhere, and the intention was that each league should appoint delegates to wait on thc'Government. Mr. F. Robinson said he had one matter to bring up, perhaps it was of a personal nature, but which he thought might afreet any second division reservist. He had been a tenant of a house in New Plymouth but recently it had been sold by auction and purchased by an unnaturalised alien. He had taken steps to bring the matter before the authorities, as he was threatened with ejection, with the result that his own danger was now past. Other second diviison men, however, might be subject to the same treatment, and he thought that no alten should' be allowed to purchase property.

Mr. ,T. Clarke said he did not think that under the'law an enemy alien could become the owner of property. Mr. Robinson said he had represented the matter to the Hon. G. W. Russell and had received a reply to the effect that there was nothing'in the law of New Zealand to prevent aliens becoming land owners; the law only applied in that respect to onemv r»' : 'ccts. It was the system ho objected to; such a sys f »- should not ho tolerated in a place like New Zealand.

A voice: 'Such a purchase would never pass through the land transfer office. Mr. P. Fit'/herhert said he wished to make a few remarks based on his own experiences as one who had been in the army both as a trooper and ns the holder of a commission. In the first place he objected to the claim that the league should he non-political. (A voice: Nonparty). Yes, non-party, but if properly organised it should 'become one of the strongest political influence? in the country. He contended that a mail's fir*' and primary duty was to his wife and family; his second duty was to sec that the men who had already gone were seen through: ,and his third duty to see, if possible, that there would be no dislocation of the business of the countrv. The war was likely to lend to n still 'farther increase in the cost of living. but if the Government took the matter >ip seriously there •would be no need for an increase at all. At the present time the .country was in the hands of monopolists; he'oolild give manv instances o;' the disgraceful way in which the people of New Zealand were being exploited, It ( was quite true that the league should not makn any exorbitant demands, hut they must ask for sufficient to keep their wives and families, not in luxury, not in penury, ,hut in reasonable comfort. Some people asked. Who were going to pay for this? He said that until provision was made for every soldier's family every single big 1 landholder shouh' havtyhis land taken away from him—if necessary confiscation without compensation. He said no compensation, hecause he thought the men lie had referred to had robbed the country long enough. He strongly urged prompt action : if they were going to strike they should strike now and strike hard. Kecontly President Wilson had issued a message in which he declared the ideal-; of America, in entering (he war, and he (Mr. Fitzherbert) thought the people should make a similar declaration, a declaration that they were fighting for humanity. Other points ho wished to emphasise were that they should insist upon the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces being under a New Zealand born General, and that the pay of every officer should be the same as that of the.menthere was no reason whatever why they should get more. The matter of' saluting was not an important one, but personally he thought it should be absolutely abolished. It was not in the interests of good discipline that men she ' have to salute men for whom they had no respect, and in this connection ho was strongly of opinion that the officers should be elected by the men who were to bo handled by them. Mr. Payne referred to the difficulty experienced hy returned Boer war soldiers in obtaining employment, stating Tie had practically tested the-matter Ingoing round the business men in Wanganni, and had found that not a single one of them was prepared to engage a returned soldier. That was why : they should insist upon getting jus,fr terms j for their wives and families before: join- j ing the forces. I

;,; Mr. J. Clarke sai(J lie agreed -with Jlv. | JFifczberbert that'the' system of bay of- ! ((cers was ridiculous. Personally he-had asked a returned soldier what tbaygdid \ntli these youngsters and had'.received the reply: them out and tell them to stop therq'ip.wo. have finished!" (Laughter). ThVicvil was in the system that no one coiiljl get a conimission unless he. was a -ijeftjgprSal, vand he could not torial if he was over 2fi year| of, Age. The time for the territorial syfrt;.em''hnd gone by and "should be abolished..; As to the election of officers such would have its dangers, might be elected not because tlteyPwere the best men but: because they-'werefcthc most popular. In 'connection work of the League lief 6und .t^tf. greatest difficulty lay in convincing second division men that they were going to be called up., Apparently they thought some miracle was going to happen. There would bo no miracle but hard, solid and serious business. He strongly urged that the league should stick closely to the financial sulc of the question—adequate pay for the men nnd adequate provision for their dependents. Mr. A. C. Downes agreed with the previous speakor nnd thought nothing would be gained by discussing such questions as the one raised t\y Mr. Robinson. They s'honld take immediate r.ction to secure their objects, as there would be only one more ballot before the second division wove called up. Mr. T. C. List did net agree with Mr Downes; he thoughb the matter brought up by Mr. Roblni""" irvolvcd s,n important principle, Slid rilpM ouslv be discussed further. He referred to the rnpM-ts ri>g»r<lln<r fl 'c dipping lip of land bv fcllen-'. Vl.it when ouv men were fl|?htln E t* Protect those land* iheuld pet to aUow.si. s**y diow » ot

permit any foreigner to take advantage* of the necessities of the men and should strongly protest against such an evil and endeavor to get it remedied. It was certain enough that the married men were going to be called up, and what sort of consolation would it 'be to them to know that during theiFabsence aliens were going round buying up their propert.es? Every man in the country, alien or Britisher, should he required to do something to help the cause in the' present time of stress. (Hear, hear). He proceeded (to criticise Mr. Fitzher- ' uert's remarks. He referred particularly to Mr 1-itzherheri's confiscation idea. II tirat were carried out what would be the result? They would be in the same position as ■Russia was to-day. There was a better instrument at command than confiscation, and that was taxation which had been, in certain directions' so far, very sparingly used. They did not want to kill enterprise or curb ambition as confiscation undoubtedly would STr. Fitzherbert: I do.

Well, who is going to provide for'the wives and children of tho second reservists when they are at the front? The money must come from industry and the t land. At previous meetings tie had shown by facts and figures that soldiers find their dependents were better treated in Britain than in New Zealand, and this reproach must be remedied. Mr. Fit*-, herheit had advocated tho election o? army officers by their men, but such a thing was obviously impossible. -M better system than the present one of appointing boy officers because they had had territorial experience might be devised, but to have them elected by the men would prove disastrous to any army. Supposing the system was appliedHo an ordinary business and the manager elected by the employees, the best man might be tho most unpopular and therefore not have a hope of appointment. The League would do better to concentrate on getting justice done wives and dependents. dependents. > l

Mr. J. McLeod said he did not agree with Mr. Fitzherbert's land confiscation proposals, but it was ono of the matters the League ought to consider and d'scuss. because probably the first question the delegates would meet wtyh in Wellington when they advocated increased pay and allowances, would be, where is the money to come from? Personally lie pointed out that tens of thousands of h pointed out that tens ofthousands of acres of Maori land were lying absolutely unproductive. Instead of land confiscation he would favor limitation of incomes.

Mr. V. Duff said it could not he considered the League's duty to point out where the money was to come from; that was the Government's tusiness, Mr. Fitzhcrbert then moved: "That in the opinion of this League no person other than a person horn of British parent!" or a naturalised subject should, during the war, he enttiled to acquire property in New Zealand." The motion was seconded by Mr. Robinson and carried unanimously. A general discussion followed, during which the necessity of enrolling as manv members as possible was strongly urged, and the proceedings closed with the understanding that the committee should arrange for future meetings to discuss other features of importance to rcser- . vists.