CONSCRIPTION.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15487, 14 January 1916, Page 9

CONSCRIPTION.

"WOOLSTOjS" VIEWS. CONDEMNATORY MOTION PASSED • A meeting of the residents and ratepavers of the "Woolston Borough was held in tho Oddfellows" Hall last night to discuss the question of conscription. The Mayor, Mr J. J. Graham, presided, and there was a fairly largo attendance, which included a number of ladies. Tho Mayor said the meeting had been railed in response to a resolution passed by the "Woolston Borough Council, and jn conscquencc of tho rcceipt of resolutions from tho Greymouth Borough Council and the Citizens' Defenco C o rps, Chrislchurch. Tho Greymouth Council's letter oovcrcd a resolution protesting against the largo number of ©en who had declared that they would not help cither in a civil or a military capacity, and the Council thought that their names and addresses should bo published, and if that was impossible, owing to tho confidential nature of the information, that legislation should oe passed enabling the Government to publish that information. Tho Citizens' Dofencc. Corps' lettei covered the resolution passed by that body at its recent meeting when tho question of conscription was discusscd. The Woolston Council had taken a democratic courso in calling tho meeting. The question of conscription was a measure whica affccted every person in the Dominion, and he felt the Council could not endorse tho Greymouth Borough Council's resolution. It appeared to him that tho Government had boon lacking m not giving tho volunteers proper treatment —which they deserved. Better treatment (which he believed was now being given in some respects), and better wages, would soon prove that the voluntary system was adequate for *U1 tho calls that could bo mado upon it. They must rcaliso thai even if they had conscription, it would not mean that every man of military ago would bo sent to tho front, as labour must o kept to keep tho industries of tho Dominion going. The Government would keep what men it desired back, and send what men it liked to tho- front. The Government would have power to dictate where a man should work,, and probably what ho would bo paid for that work. It might possibly mean a cheaper Army. The speaker criticised the. Government's action in not taking a firmer stand in regard to financial matters. It had, ho said, adopted a very spineless attitude in this and ho thought that a good deal more attention should be paid to tho taxing, or fhe using, of profits which were directly attributable to the war. The chairman said Mr H. J. Marriner wan present as a representative of tho C.D.C., to explain that body's attitude. It was for the meeting to decide whether lie should be allowed to address it.

A motion was proposed that Mr ■ Marriner should be allowed to address the meeting, but an amendment that ; the speakers should be - confined to residents and. ratepayers of the borough was eventually carried. Mjr J. B. Roberts.moved :— ''That this meeting of Woolston residents . emphatically protests against being imposed urion fho citizens of '(his Dominion, as it- believes it to bo entirely op- . posed to democratic principles." Tho mover said tho difference of free Now Zealand from Germany and Aus- . wpß y. tbo difference ■ between■' conscription; and non-conscription. He knew .that advocates of conscription claimed that-it-was needed- to win the war, but he questioned tho good faith of ' its advocates and Considered that the , governing classes were only seeking to gain a firmer grip and a greater power ovor the working classbs, iin view of the probability .of industrial strife after ' cad of tao war. Ho hoped that Woolston was ndt going to turn down their brothers in England, who prac- ' 'tically to a man had pronounced against the idea. Hoj warnod those present that they should be very enre- ' iul indeed how thoy /acted in this inatter,- and if they valued what little -liberty they had, they should voto \ against conscription to a man. Con- , > scription was merely a conspiracy on tho part of tho • govorhing classes to - 'Obtain a greater hold on tho workers, i, (Loud applause.) - _Mr Mci£io seconded the motion. Ho " said that he had volunteered, eighteen. months ago, but he was thoroughly opposed* I*> conscription. Ho had. also - found that there were .regulations in ■ the Defeiicc Act that wero opposed to his . conscience, for ho claimed to bo , '-allowed to exercise that form of wor'ship-, in which ho believed. Tho speaker >. read a great many opinions from I various sources on the oonscription "> question, both as applied to military ; - service and to enforced labour. Ho considered that the whole war was a direct blow to organised labour throughout the ;world. , ■ Mr Samms supported, the motion, as he believed conscription was opy pdsea to all principles of democracy. ' ' f* e '. out that though nine- ? tenths of the people of Bulgaria wero > friendly to tho Allies, they were forced , to fight against them. 'If there had been no conscription ho thought there ■would have been no war, and ho would > oppose it to tho bitter end. White thought the meeting j t tnoula indict tho present Government. It had not tried out voluntaryism .- .apropony, it had not organised its taxation properly, and it had showed s itself-so futile and weak that it "..■ looked as though it wero really working for and wanted conscription. The young men of the country would do i . their duty if they were treated in a - ' proper manner. Tho Rev. H. R. Roberts said he was . out and out for compulsion. He pre- ' ferrcd voluntaryism, nut with a menace such as there'was at present tho . most desperate measures wero necessary. Everything the workman held most' dear would b« lost if tho Germans won. (Dissent.) He had lived in Germany, and while there he had _ read in their papers of their designs, ' upon Is ew Zealand, and with a warn- < lr *g "fee this the pegple of tho Dov minion should be ready for all sacrii - J OOS - «Vrth a danger from a foe that •<; v.had proved themselves barbarians, it was no time for quibbling about the question of wages, and the man who *ould not fight for his country should be made to get out. (Uproar.) Mr Harrington endorsed the former .j speaker s remarks. There were a !ot of men ■ hanging about tho place who should be at th 0 front, and if they would not go they should bo mado to ' bought the old . argiunent of tho German menaco was the same old bogy dressed up in another form. The fact was that tho j people in power were trying to get a ! -> ~ strangle-hold on the trades unions, ■ *y i fc be »? r ed unionists to look well ft? j - ®® v - Mr ,Roberts had t•i e£ l in Germany, • and it seemed funny that he had only found out taat the Germans wero scoundrels v now.

' ur~ s P cake r said tho point was— • can we win without conscription?" - „ Another said, that if the Allies could * about four men against < 4 i tha , cnem >'. they ought to go and bury themselves. " -J.IJ ® ar^ner said ho believed they ; c °uia not wm the war without conU ■caption; not only of flesh and blood W " ■

but of wealth and labour. Ho moved as an amendment: ~ r "That this meeting urge the Government to impose conscription on everything necessary to -nin the

The' amendment was seconded. Cr. Hobson said that t* hen any great change like conscription was contemplated, the Government should give the people a cnanee to express their opinion and not outrago the feelings of the majontv by force. Mr J B Roberts ridiculcd the. German "peril'." He insisted that voluntarism had rover been given a fair chance The G-overumcnt wanted a irmv. and it was too weak to "et hold of the wealth of tho wealthy classes and pay its soldiers a wage that would bring them to the colours He claimed that it conscription did comp into forcp it would not moaii equalitv of sacrifice, for the governing elates "of the country would take fine care that conscription would not hurt being put,the amendment was lost and the original motion carried bv a large majority, amid applausp.