COMPULSORY SERVICE.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15746, 13 November 1916, Page 6

COMPULSORY SERVICE.

THE BED FED ATTITUDE.

A REFERENDUM ASKED FOR.

The following letter has been forwarded to the Hon. James-Allen, Act-ing-Primc Minister, by Mr Hiram Hunter, secretary of tho United Fcderatlon of Labour:— "J have the honour, by direction of the United Federation of Labour, to respectfully submit for the consideration of the Government, a roquest on behalf of organised Labour in New Zealand, that before tho provisions of the iVlihtary Service Act arc put into operation, a ballot should bo taken for tiie purposo of ascertaining whether the electors are in favour of the conscription of the manhood of tho Dominion. "Wjj contend that Parliament had no mandate from the people to place a Conscription Act upon the .Statute Book, as any suggestion of the enactment of conscription being proposed was pooh-poohed at the time of the last general election. "Further, wo hold that as Governments, both past and present, have made it compulsory ior trade unionists to take a ballot of all their members before creating an industrial dispute, in reference to obtaining better wages and working conditions from their employers, that it is- reasonable to claim ithat a ballot ehal] be held before any steps are taken to conscript flesh and blood. "If it is necessary to compel working men to take a ballot to protect employers from the legitimate demands of trade unionists, it is a thousand times more necessary to take a referendum of the people before any attempt is made to divorce men from*all that they hold dear._ "We urge your Government to give our request its most serious consideration, sincerely believing that the taking of a referendum on the subject is in tho best interests of the Dominion particularly, and the Empiro generally."