Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. FRIDAY, JUNE 2, 1916. MILITARY SERVICE BILL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8465, 2 June 1916, Page 4

Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. FRIDAY, JUNE 2, 1916. MILITARY SERVICE BILL.

The Government has every reason, to bo satisfied witli the reception accorded the Military Service Bill, both by the country and: the House of Kepresentatives. The division' list on Mr McCombs's amendment that the Bill be read three months' hence showed that, as was expected, only the Labour members are opposed to it, and they further showed their hostility to the measure by being the only opponents of the second | reading, f which was carried last ' night by; '49 votes to 5. This fact indicates how hopeless it is to expebt the co-operation of these,members in measures which the great majority of the people believe are for the benefit of the country. If their sympathy and support are withheld in a matter upon which the fate of the Empire actually depends, what hope is there that they will help the country in its efforts to work out its destiny in' the matter of the minor, but relatively important problems ? Honest constructive criticism is as necessary as it is beneficial. But the necessity for compulsion in military matters has gone beyond the realms of speculation—its need is emphasised more and more every day. Yet the representatives of Labour affect to see in the proposal nothjing but an attempt to introduce into the Dominion a "military autocracy/ for the sole purpose of "reducing the workers to a position of ■ servility."' It is not surprising to find such sentiments bluntly described as "balderdash," and most people will agree with Mr Isitt's terminology. Perhaps the most absurd suggestion of any .made by the Labour members was. that of Mr Webb, the member for Grey, who can generally be 'Vrelied., upon for: originality.. „, -in. .views on political economy. This gentleman was responsible for the ama.zing proposition that the people of New Zealand would be doing their full share in winning the war if they stayed at home and produced f'cod for British, and Allied soldiers. Presumably he would argue in a similar strain with regard to Australia and Canada; but happily the statesmen and young manhood of those countries are moulded on more patriotic and heroic lines than such a proposition as this involves, with the result that the services of about 600,000 soldiers are available to.help the Empire in her fight for the rights of civilisation. Dr. Thacker argued that "conscription had no right to be tried until every other means had been tried and had failed," and he contended that "every other means had not been tried." Such a statement as this implies ignorance of the measures that the Government, the local bodies, and the patriotic societies have incessantly adopted for 18 months past to encourage voluntary enlistment. Dr. Thacker, however, is an intelligent and a capable man, and cannot be unaware that every possible method has been tried, with unsatisfactory results. He must know, also"! that a solid body of public opinion is behind the system of compulsory service, and that this opinion was. first given tangible; expression by a large gathering of the employees at the Hillside railway workshops, who, on the occasion of a visit to Hillside by the Minister of Defence, demanded that Mr Allen should introduce, some form of compulsion! With these facts fresh in. their minds, the opponents of the Bill lay themselves open to two alternative opinions from- the public point of .view: they are either insincere in their loyalty to■'their 'country, or they : are so determined in their hostility to the Government and all its works that they refuse to admit that any proposal it makes.is in the public interest. Contrast' their attitude with that of the spokesman for the Maori race— Dr. Pomnre— who declared: "If for this war the la«t man of the Arawas was needed, he would go —to the last man." The fact that already over 1000 Maoris arc j at the front is proof that this was no idle boast. On tho whole, the debate on the Bill has been helpful. The Government had scarcely any precedents upon which to base the provisions of the measure, yet members have found

very little to take exception to. In committee there may be minor alterations, but there seems to be every likelihood that it will reach the/ Statute Book with; its effective clauses unchanged.