NOTHING NEW

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 50, 28 February 1916, Page 4

NOTHING NEW

... """ t.".'...■'.. : TS MB ALLEY'S TktXO&rf COXSIPEKED POLICY REAiiFiaitEjj I ; GOMPULSIQ>I IF YOLTJSTARiIRy: EAILED7 .; "~\~~£- MR, MASSEYS STAIEME^.-"' While, in Auckland during .the '*&■'■ end the Prime Minister (the-Et jt"""" W. F. Massey) took the * again reaffirm the Government's'njii* ' of giving voluntaryism, 'another V under: the new recruiting'scheme.;.^-: in the event of. its failure.. intr,odncJi,, " consoription. • " ■'< ■*?• Mr Massey declared that. thergTas' nothing new in the situatiqnj.'atjjg£':' out of "the reported, pledge of Mr*Aiien to,.resign in the event of tfieVprSnt effort faping and the ing to introduce conscription,' {or-tho position was perfectly clear. XejiiSgei: land had certain reinforcement quptasto'"" keep up, and if the men were not- forthcoming resort would have to be nad'e'tj conscription. "V-..-;... THE NEW SCHEME. /. On- the! whole the response to •tiff Got 7 ernment's appealfor the of the local 'bwiies of the Ilomiijioii h»4' satisfactory- -4 fw : %dieg'at : |rßt' expressed themselves as unwiliiii"' to undertake the. work-in connection°wit!i the- new scheme, but the refuses .were mainly .confined to the period.7»lieji" {ie-request-was. first made. "Shjce. of : "ihe local bodies reconsidered the position, andiiai'Boi expressed willingness to do anything'po>, sible- in. the interests of the scheme. 7'iJn ■'■ cases .where local 'bodies: refuse tfl.acti*■:•'■ continued the- Prime Minister,7 ."it 7wjli be to. arrange ait org|ji\, 7 sation of citizens to do the "wocif r jnstead, sp : that no difficulty is anticipate! : ■On-the. score Of carrying the scheme intoeffect. The position is that for the pur. poses of the new .scheme the '.Tvh»ls7 Dominion has been divided into'diatrict^,. and;lor each'district it..is ■ intended to set up a local Naturally we have turned .firstto the local, bodiei.7. If their, co-operation is not available vra Proust go elsewhere. ' The local' organiair7 tio-ns will lsiit a3 'long- aa'Mneh/aiß. required, and they will be equally-efec?; tive whether" the" system in operatipn ii the voluntary one or compulsion." . , ■ ORATOEY NOT WANTED. Speaking with regard to the manner ii which the Government expected the local. bodies to put' into operation 4he assistance they had undertaken tp„ give, lit, Massey.said that public meetings '-hadjii'l been found to be particularly effectire, although they might be necessary for.tU consolidation of the organisation'and'tiis' strengthening of public opinion. As far, as the pro4uctiOn of recruits was coijcerned, "however, they had- not been successful in this, country, ;_ What7*as;l, wanted in each-district was a body of active, energetic, tactful canvasses, whether men" or women, or both, to $>, from house to house and Invite eligiM* men. to offer their services. Still, it .opt' be understood that each local body baji free hand, and would doits workitfii: ;Own .way, according to the eircumstspß and conditions of the local.district 'it controlled. The Government diditft mind haw the work was done so long.v the result was id, maintain the quotat When the fact that several local bodi had Only ; underta.ken the work of puttinj the scieriie into operation after protest-" ing" that'the canvassing of - the eligiiii; men was, the ".•work 1 of the Government, Mr. Massey pointed out that the Government had no machinery by which it ,1 could undertake the work" 6iT canvassing. vM For. -work such as that "now before the v country they must have; the .coHoperition of-the citizens, and it .was quite impoi-7' sibj.e fpr the- wprk. to be done properly unless the citizens were prepared to helj. While men.'anxiouß to.go were plentiful the.Government could, carry out the work itself, but when 50,000 of the male population had already enlisted it war obviously quite impossible lor. thf Government to carry on without civil assistances That assistance -was forthconail| ■was demonstrated' by the fact that in round .figures a. Irandred local had already' promised. their hearty co-opera-tion. ~.; . NO pil3)Gr-i* TO MAKREED. Questioned' as to Whether there tv any likelihood of the Government issuing a pledge to married men -canvassed unte the new scheme that they would pot be . called upon to until single men had ieen called up, Mr.' Massey, maintained the view he expressed on the occtsion of bis last'Yisit ttf"Auckland, namely, that the pledge was unnecessary. The position was that there was not; compulsion at the present time, and th? Government was appealing forthe -voluntary service? of eligible men. If there were Jnarried men who "were'anxious to go,-and could leave their wives atid .families amply provided rainy .such iad already taken tip ,arjnssrtlie; Goyernment wss pleased to accept their services. It was unnecessary for loc»l bodies.to record their opinion in favour ;of inscription, /or was quite ciear . vvhat 'the Government's duty would ba. in the event of the voluntary system failing. -Replying to the ppmt wMctrhsd been "Raised" that" under the new system single men without depoidents might . enlist for a draft so far ahead that iniu- " ried recruite might be called"upon.fird>7. . Mr. Missey saidj-tiiat. yolunte*sts would be asked to jiamea draft to be_call,edup.; comparatively early, and any man who offered, to enlist aiter an uru-easqniibly long'period not be accepted.