TRAMWAYMEN AND CONSCRIPTION.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15774, 15 December 1916, Page 11

TRAMWAYMEN AND CONSCRIPTION.

TO THE EDITOR OF "'i'HE TIIESS." Sir, —It appears from your report of the meeting of tramwaymen, given in j your issue of the 14th, that a delagate , Was appointed to attend the conference at Wellington to be held t-o "discuss ways and means of repealing the Mili- , tary Service Act, and to arrange a campaign for a more general education of the people of New Zealand on the t subject/' With regard to the attitude 'of the meeting towards conscription, I have little to say. One can oniy recret that a presumably intelligent oody of men should, in the face of the Hun rejoicings over the result of the Australian referendum, have, supported a i policy which, if carried into effect as a .Dominion policy, could only __stiH further gratify the enemy and discourage our men and our Allies. That 'more general education" on the question is Accessary I admit, but not on the ifuos indicated by a nti-conscriptionists. W c . have before us the result of the Australian referendum, a result deplored not only by loyalists of all classes, but doubtless by thousands of those yho were induced by misrepresentation, party feelings, sentimental ideas, and also' by honest short-sightedness as to the far-reaching and disastrous results of an anti-eonseription policy, to vote with the "Noes." The feelinus of thesepeople when they realise the result of ■ their action, can be by no moans enviable if they realise the openlyetipressed gratification of Germany, the disappointment of our Allies, the probable niisjudgment of neutral countries. and, above all. the sense- of shame which must have been felt by ioyal Australians and bv Mr Hughes when I he had to (as stated) inform Sir Doudas HaiV that h.6 could no longer

guarantee the promised reinforcements. They must surely regret having allowed minor considerations to influence them in their decision, and to lead them to act in concert • with traitors and criminals. Decidedly, "general education" on the subject is needed. The people need to be taught that conscription is necessary —not to enable tho capitalists to oppress the worker, not to invade their liberty, but to enable us to contend - against a powerful and barbarous foe whose success in this war •would mean bitter humiliation to the British Empire, and a complete loss to this Dominion of its liberty and all we hold most dear. We should see to it, then, tjjat our Government receives full and loyal support. We must support conscription, not because we like _it, or desire it as a permanent institution in the country, but because it is a means of enabling us to fulfil our pledges to the British Government, and of defending o" r nomes from devastation by the enemy. Let us be thankful that so far the watchfulness of Britain's Navy and the bravery of soldiers and their Allies, have preserved us from the horrors of invasion, and, above all, let ns make sure that our lads at the front are cheered- and supported by a steady and assured flow of reinforcements. To the anti-conscriptinoist I would say, ' ine Government have power to conscript men —they will not use that power it men volit&teer in sufficient numbers. Don't be a conscript if you do not like it—volunteer!"— Yours, etc , W, MlLlfio. \'ew Brighton, December 14th, 11)16.