WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 June 1918, Page 3

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

PENALISING MOTHERHOOD. SECOND DIVISffION PROTEST. (Special Correspondent.) Wellington, June 7At a meeting of the National Executive of the Second Division League ne-id here last night, it was resolved to withdraw the league's representative on.the Soldiers' Financial Assistance Board as a protest against the board's refusal to make more generous concession to the wives of soldiers with children. It wag alleged that under the board's policy the wife with one child received only £4 a year more than the wife with no children, and a specific instance showing this to be the case was quoted at the meeting. The members of the executive profess to have taken this extreme step with great regret, but as the views of the league's representative have been persistently flouted by his colleagues on the board, tihey saw no other course open to them. THE BOARD'S ATTITUDE. The executive's resolution, introduced by a very lengthy preamble, lias been forwarded to the .Acting-Prime Minister, and though the withdrawal of the league's representative will depend UDon the gentleman's own inclinations,'lie I having been formally appointed by the Government on the nomination of the league, no doulbt he will readily agree to the wishes of the executive The Minister, while deploring the loss of the assistance of a direct representative of the league i n carrying out the difficult duties of the board, has no fear that his withdrawal will result in less careful attention being given to every case brought up for consideration. The board is allowed a wide margin of discretion in every case, which will continue to be exercised with a lively regard to the just claims of the soldier's dependents THE NEXT BALLOT. The April and May ballots having exhausted Class B of the Second Division reservists, that is, with one child, it is expected that a ballot in Class C, reservists with two children, will be taken this month. There are, roughly, 28,000 men in this class, and proibablv 10000 name* will be drawn ,n the impending ballot. How soon after this drawing the we n will be mobilised will depend upon the shipping facilities available during rhe iiexit few months. The camps already are fairly full, the Minister of defence wishing to be in a position to supply the increased reinforcements su". gested by the Imperial authorities, and it is unlikely that any men of Class C wil be required before October, and perhaps none before November or Deceiriber.

THE PRESS PICNK. The announcement that the Actingtnme Minister had received a n invitation to send five prominent journalists Home as the guests of the Imperial Government was not followed by a wild rush of newspaper men anxious to be included, in the favored party. But when the names of the quintet selected by the Newspaper Proprietors' Association got abroad at the beginning of the week, Ministers were deluged with angry protests from all parts of the journalistic world. Four of the five are attached to heform newspapers, chiefly in a commercial capacity, and it is felt, apparently with some show of reason, that this would not bo a fair distribution of representation. The acting party lead, era, Sir James Allen and the Hon. W D. S. Mac Donald, while warmly appreciating the Imperial Government's offer of hospitality, are wishing its allotment had not been left to their discretion.