RECRUITING.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15464, 17 December 1915, Page 8

RECRUITING.

YESTERDAY'S ENLISTMENTS. The holiday affected recruiting yesterday, only eleven "men registering for ecmco in Christchurch. They were: — Joseph Vox, 43 Bangor otreet. Christchurcb, labourer—lnfantry. Hamilton Fraaer Hay, 26 Beresford street, Lin wood, platelayer—Mounted. James Sinclair, 139 Kins street, Sydenham, machine operator—Engin "c-a. Camobell Thorana Bcav Grcatbaob. 13 Brougham street, Sydenham, eheet . metal ■worker —Engineers. Edwin James Shcard. Bligh's Garden, Isew Brighton, leather dreeser— .Ym';u.»iice. Joseph Jones, 16 Somerset street, Spreydon, potterv hand—lnfantry. David Llewellyn Moore, 333 Worcester etroet, Christchurch. bricklayer—Maiiu-cit. Hugh Warnock E!li«. G.P.0., Christchurch, letter-carrier— Artillery. . James Richard Godsell, Rink Farm, Ilalstve'l, farm manager—Mounted.

Alfred Herbert Rudd, 156 Brougham street, Christchurch. accntintant —Infantry.

Alfred Drake Whittle, 139 SaHaburv street, Christchurch. company -manager—lnfantry.

ANTI-CONSCRIPTIONISTS

A RESOLUTION OF PROTEST

REPLY IJY THE PR J.ME MINISTER

/PRESS ASSOCIATION TIXKRUI.)

"WELLINGTON, December 10

A cop; - of the following resolution passed at a public meeting hold in Millorton recently has boon forwarded xo the Prime Minister: —''That this mooting of Millorton citizens regards the attempt to fasten conscription on .New Zealand as disruptive and dangerous, and declare.-, tnat the .success of conscription would be an achievement of Prussianism. Wo are justilied in regarding an attempt to l'russianise New Zealand as an endeavour to provide for the ultimate defeat of wor icing ehii.-, ideals. Finally, we demand nationalisation of capital as the most effective method of providing for the circumstances created by the war. It is the opinion of tho meeting that the volunteer system has never been given a fair trial, since no guarantee is given to anyone inclined to volunteer that then- dependents will be properly provided for." J a a letter sent in reply to this communication, the Prime Minister says:— "I believe that most of the citizens of your town raid district arc just as willing to do their duty as the citizens of any other part of New Zealand. I

am very strongly of opinion that if conscription becomes necessary in the l>ominion during the present war, it will be because wo have here, and I would rather not believe this, a number of shirkers and anti-militarists, many of them without dependents, who cannot bo induced by any other method to do their duty to their country. This is not the time for mischievous attempts to set class against class, such as seems to me to be indicated in the latter portion of your resolution. On the contrary, this is the time for all classes and all sections of the community to -stand together against a common enemy, one of whoso aims, and I believe the principal one, is to subject British people to tyranny such as they havo not experienced for thousands of years. Heaven help New •Zealand if rfhe ever becomes Prussianised in the real sense of the word."

views of mr craigie. m.p,

(rnESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.)

TIMARU, December 16. At the send-off of the men I for tho Eleventh Reinforcements last evening, Mr J. Craigie, M.P. for Timaru, said that tho voluntary system jwas all right, only it was spasmodic, and did not make equality of sacrifice. Tho Dominion's finances could not bo carried on on voluntary lines, and tho war could not bo brought to a successful issue under .the voluntary system. He cited the cage o£ a widow with four cons who had gone to tho war, while some other people did not send any of their sons. Ail people should be prepared to share in the sacrifice and thus tavo ©quality.

OTA GO'S QUOTA.

FAMILY'S SPLENDID RECORD

(SFZCTATj to "the press.")

DUNEDIX. December 16.

The quota from here for tho iSlovontli Hoiniorcemcnts left to-day, 150 short. .Among the number wno left for Trentnam were four brothers named .Woods, of Dunedin. They aro joining another two brothers who are already in tho fighting line. It is questionable if there is another family in Mew Zealand holding so admirable a record. A FARMER'S EMPLOYEE. On Wednesday wc printed a paragraph referring to the case of a recruit, employed by a farmer. This man's employer, it was stated, was unwilling to allow the man's wifo to continue to occupy the cottago in which tho lived. A correspondent writes to us from a certain township in Canterbury, tho substance of his letter being as follows: — "As I presume I am the farmer concerned under tho abovo heading in your Wednesday's issue, I should like to give you a statement of the facts. In the first place, tho man concerned was not a regular employee of mine. He asked for tne house two or three months ago, 6»ying he was going to take day work in tne district. Upon the understanding that ho shoula work for me during the harvest, I let him tho house, with run for two cows and a .horse, for bs per week. Altogether, he has not put in eight weeks' work for me. About three weeks back he told me he had enlisted, but did not expect to go till after harvest. A ween ago yesterday ho told me he had received notice to report on the 14th instant, but was not euro as to whether he should go or not. Ho then asked me if I tdibuld require tho house, or if I coidd spare it for tho next three years if he should make up his mind to go. 1 told him 1 would require the house later on for a married couple. Nothing further was said till last Tuesday morning, when he called for a cheque, sayiu" - ho was going to town, and would have to make a final decision as to whether he should go to the front or not. From first to last I did not make the slightest attempt ta dissuade the man from recruiting. Upon seeing your paragraph in tne paper yesterday afternoon, 1 went down and saw the man. He toid me he had not made trp his mind to leave so suddenly. He was not quite ready, and when pressed by the officer for a good reason for not going, the house was the best excuse he could think of, but that ho had no idea it would get into the paper. I offered to drive him into Christehurch. in time to catch the 7.45 train to Lyttelton, and did so, also to remove ,ihe furniture for his wife any time within the next three weeks. As to being unpatriotic in not allowing the family to stay in the house for the next- three years, I quite fail to see the point. The house was required for a special purpose, and I suppose there are houses available which the owners could let without any inconvenience to themselves. The man in question had uot made any attempt to find a house, although he knew a week previously that mine would be required: but then he had not definitely made up hisjnind to go, so that was excusable."