KAITANGATA NEWS.

Clutha Leader, Volume XLIII, Issue 7, 25 July 1916, Page 3

KAITANGATA NEWS.

fSO* OVa OWN COBBKSPONDKNT. MILITARY SEEVICB BILL. OITOSKI) BY MR SEMPLK. ANOTHER PI'BLIC MEETING,

Ahout 12(i persons, among whom were a dozen ladies and between 40 and 50 voting men who under the Act would be glassed i" the first division of recruits, W pri' present in Wilson 's Hall on Sunday evening, when Mr Robert Semple, - the Miners' Federation of La-hour, delivered an address, stating ],;< views on the Military Service Act ani | condemning its clauses from beginning to end.

MR SEMPLK'S SPEECH. Mr I!. Pen mail, who presided, briefly introduced the speaker, who on rising was well received. Mr Semple in open-

jnir >aid he would candidly admit that the subject was a very difficult one to handle, and that so many laws surrounded if that one must be very careful of the manner in which it was bandied or one was likely to be dubbed a pro-German. However, he was loyal—(applause) —but he was here to proclaim that he was of opinion that this Act wa> quite an unnecessary one, and jn saying that he was not alone in denouncing it. He was constantly travel-

ling among the working classes, and he knew the concensus of opinion of the workers generally. At a conference of delegates from unions held early in July fvery delegate spoke against the Bill from A to Z, anil from A to 7. its clauses were attroeious. It went to show that this country allowed some people to do aj they liked. This was the first country of our Kmpire to adopt conscription, even in face of the fact tjiat each reinforcement went away with its full complement of men. Already somewhere about li'i.iHiu men had been supplied aniler the voluntary system for service at the front, and that more than fulfilled the number pledged by the Government. Why. just recently at Christchurrh too many men wanted to go, and the military authorities asked some to stav hack, but eventually the authorities were compelled to accept them all in order to save trouble, for the men sail: "We all go, or none of us go." "I am here," said the speaker, "to express my opinions regardless, of what mav follow, jii.-t as others have done in earlier times. The Bill is just a vision of what could be expected in Russia. Those young men who left our shores do so under the voluntary system to assist in suppressing Prussian militarism. They were called upon to defend this country against the octupus of German militarism: yet now we are going to have placed on our Statute Books as vicious a law as can be found in Prussia. We all waut to see voluntaryism win this war for us, and by voluntaryism we can do it aud bring back our boys again. I have seven blood relations at the front, and I want to see them back safely, so I cannot do anything that would harm them, and I will not be doing so when I fight against conscription. The Bill is simply the embodiment of ' lass privilege. The various Tjoards to be >et. up will not d-.al out justice a< they should do, and the very fact that when they can take evidence from objectors, not in a public way as in tivil law but in camera, the members ran accept any old story just as it suits them, and can exempt their own class even without calling for evidence. They are certainly not going to deal fairly with the wage workers of this country. They could do just as the Military Pensions Board has done." The speaker in-

stanced alleged abuses by that board. after which he continued: " Is that aiding the voluntary system.' The Pensions Roard should be thoroughly ashamed of itself for its shameful administration." Mr Semple quoted two eases, in one of which (he stated) a widow with her invalid son were

granted £1 per week, while the wife of a captain who drew an insurance of £3% and il")00. being half mortgage on a farm, got a pension of £o per week. He did not say the captain's widow got too much, hut he would say the soldier's widowed mother got too little. (Applause.) Xo case should be held in tamera, which was a vicious policy. "Public questions should be heard in public," continued the speaker, "but, *ky, the very men who will be given tte administration of affairs are biased »pinst the working classes. Why should any Minister be granted power to «t aside any particular section to obtain recruits under the Act, and this quite regardless of any other seetion or district.' Because he"will take up the Wion that suits him. I know the Minister well enough to say he has »o tone for the working man. Again, the Bill provides only for the Quaker as a ttligious. objector. Even to the Quaker the Bill is repugnant because he ttn be compelled to do work at the front J"st as repugnant as carrying the rifle. it a man became a Quaker after 1915 he cannot come 'to the penitent form to lodge objection against compulsion. Do yon know that in the Bill any lOßStablc ran. without warrant, detain toyman whom he suspects to be shirk;kg his responsibilities.' At first the ; *ord was arrest, but it has since been ■oiiified. and now we have the word faain. i Laughter.) Why, the police *■ Wily give any man a good deal of trouble: they can even demand what *■? be the sacred secrets of the home. «W cannot therefore be the sanctity of home—a thing which we all respect. *ith all due respect to the police force,

lay thorp arc some policemen whom I *WM not ,au> to find entering my **° e - Now, the Bill provides a penalty ~ *SO against any employer who proves work for men tit to serve and does ** give notice to that effect. The W>ee can deal a death blow to the "•fed secrets of this country. These *•» are physically fit and have underlie training, but—think of it!—they "•exempted under the Bill; yet they tS*. cllaUen ge *ne right of other men. [{Ll* B<rt a k» r proposition to exempt PP*. Tie people of this country are

not a criminal class of people, hence the police have light duties, and 1 contend that these duties should 'be effectively carried out by returned wounded soldiers, who would have au easy time of it till their bones became knit and their bodies strengthened again. (Cheers.) Now, we find that the Bill is going to bring up a crowd of 'pimps' among us. Miserable creatures 'pimps' are. One man in a house must not conceal facts about another man in that house, or he is liable to a fine of £SO. This one man turns against another; one becomes suspicious of thi other, and the one will spy on the other for fear of prosecution and fine. Thus there is crucified the confidence which formerly existed among neighbours. Now, the 'good Old Book' tells us that those who are married shall not be put asunder, but what does the Bill say? it says that those who have married since 1915 are to be put down as single. (Laughter.) I again say this Bill is the embodiment of discrimination, anil is the worst one placed on the statutes of New Zealand. Colonel Maxwell has stated —a wicked statement —that martial law was required at Home to deal with trades unionism, which was the home of the slinking shirker. A wicked falsehood. It has also been stated here that Kaitangata was a home for the shirkers of the West Coast. 1 challenge that statement, and' invite that man to prove it, and invite him to dare go over to the Coast aud repeat that statement. Why, even Hon. Jas. Alien himself has acknowledged that the West Coast has sent more men in proportion to its size than any other place in this country. Now, if unionists can see where enormous war profits are being made and make a demand to obtain a fair proportion of them, then it is alleged by military authority (Colonel Fitzgerald) that the men are getting out of hand ami martial law is necessary, .lust think of it! Coming again to voluntaryism, we find Hon. D. Lloyd George, at Manchester, saying: ' We are not in want of recruits for the Army; we waut recruits for the workshop. 1 No compulsion required there, is tfiore? We must put up with it here, though, to tie down our workers hand and foot, and although Mr Massey said the Bi'j! was only required and would last only for the period of the war, you can be sure it will be there for all time. Why, Mr Massey even said that after the war he hoped the people would establish some military system, aud in this he found some in the House to support hj! : :. wishes. This Bill would shackle workers. At our conference at Wellington we agreed that a soldier should be granted 12s per day (his usual or average rate of pay), and if returned wounded he should get £o per week. Mr Allen thinks that would bring ruin to this country, but that man knows as others do that duriug the last two years the wool kings of this country have reaped over £7,080,000 in profits, quite apart from profits gained in norma,! times. Cut a halfpenny tax on that wool, and you get £1,0OO",OOO to pay soldiers decently. Put on another halfpenny tax and we get enough aud to tpare for decent pensions. This still leaves £.3,000,000 to the wool kings, who really should never have been allowed to handle the money. Why, the remaining £5,000,000 would pay all our war expenses. You can depend upon it that these squatters will be exempted from, service. So will their sons, for with their enormous war profits they can buy up land and their sons go ou to it, aud then of course they are engaged in an industry -which cannot be interfered with: and also they will cry ' Laboui scarce.' l)o you know that the profits on meat, butter, cheese, wool, wheat, oats amounted to £13,000,000 in 12 months.' Then what do we hear? The wool monopolists say ' We are patriotic and can see this country is in trouble. We will take over £7,000,000 extra profits, but we can't give any of it to the shearers in extra wages.' No wonder the value of laud is enhanced. Sir .1. G. Ward is willing to get hold of all this money by way of a loan, and he will pay 4J per cent, interest for it. lie does not believe in war profits, so he inflicts a heavy war profit tax—4s per cent. Just think of it; aud ou the loan there will be exemption from income tax. The Labour member, Mr J. Payne, was put out of the House for calling Ministers traitors because they encouraged that sort of thing. He told them they should be ashamed to dip their fingers in that pie of blood. The State would recognise the right to make these war profits. It won't conscript that wealth, but it will conscript our flesh, and blood and disregard the right of the moral or conscientious objector. They claim it is robbery to take the rich man's rnoney. If that is so, then I claim it is murder to take away a man against his will. You always find the . Tories trying to shackle the working I classes.

"Now for a word, on shipping. Are vou aware that the profits here have "risen from £22,01)0,000 to £256,000,000? (Quotation from Daily Mail.) Why, one cargo boat can pay off its own purchase money on only one trip between Australia" and a Home port." The speaker then quoted the amount of rise in shares in Nobel's Ammunition Company, which he said was a rich company manufacturing explosives to blow human beings to atoms. Continuing, he said: "During the last fortnight the Union Steamship Company's shares rose £1 per share. Why, even the landlords iu Wellington have risen the rents on account of the war. This is only one other hardship on workers. All the essentials for a worker's home have' gone up. Miners get a 10 per cent, rise, and then people wake up in the cities to find they have to pay 30 per cent, more for coal; also at the same time up goes bread, meat, flour. (Laughter.) I gay they've got you every time. If you even die they have got you —(laughter)—for an undertaker himself told me it now takes £2 10s more to bury a man!"

! Mr Semple then went on to quote further cases where the Pensions Board, did not give full effect to justice when "Healing with returned men, sand paid a compliment to Dr Thacker for his.interest in the soldiers. ,The war had a decided tendency to create "blacklegs" of. re-

turned soldiers through the loophole in the Arbitration Act making provision for soldiers to work at reduced rates of wages, "if wool kings," said the speaker, "are allowed enormous war profits surely the State should allow that returned men be paid a wage worthy of their labour. If the National Government does not act squarely, but allows things to continue as at.present, it.should be put out of office. As we can't talk against Prussian militarism we must get rid of conscription here. It has been introduced without consulting the people, but is the product of 12 Cabinet Ministers. Even Sir J. G. Ward said, only five months ago, that to bring in couscriptipn was to bring in Prus sianism, but we find men all ov<n the House and in the lobbies betraying the people by supporting the Bill. A referendum should be taken on the question. If we tamely submit we will be brought under the castiron shoe of militarism, and that is not necessary, for the voluntary system never failed us." (Applause.) Mr J. Tucker: What was the actual increase of recruits just prior to any mention of the Military' Service Bill?"

Mr Semple: I don't know exactly, but 1 do know that with proper chances given it recruiting under voluntaryism would fly up even beyond human expectations.

Mr Tneker: You say the Minister cau have conscription in any particular district regardless of other districts? Mr Semple: I'll read the clause. (This was taken, but not in conjunction with others bearing upon it.) Mr Tucker: He can ouly conscript iti a district failing to supply the required quota.

Mr Semple: As soon as this Bill becomes law every man is a conscript, and then the Minister can have any single man called up from any district.

Mr Tucker: When we don't require this Act, surely we can repeal it by our votes and return of the proper men to Parliament. Also, in connection with the police detaining men for examination, you have it in the Police Offences Act, the Crimes Act and Customs Act, where they have that power without warrant.

Mr Semple: That is so, but I for one object to the abuse of that power and to reveal any secrets of my home. (Applause.) If I must be questioned 1 wish to answer before a properly constituted board, "but the method to be .adopted is closely approaching Russia and Prussia.

Mr Tucker: Then do you believe voluntaryism will supply the means necessary to end the war?

Mr Semple: Yes. The men who enlisted here have surprised the world. The blow to crush Prussian militarism should be dealt by, voluntaryism, might just as well suffer Prussianisin in Prussia as Prussianisin in England or here. Our forefathers fought for our liberties, and why should we be stripped of them? Don't cure militarism with militarism, or consumption by catching that disease.

Mr Tucker: With each district supplying its full quota, do you think the Act Avill be brought into operation? Mr Semple: Yes, for industrial purposes.

Mr.Tucker: The Act of 1909 has gone .on smoothly, aud this one is simply coupled to it. Mr Semple: It is impossible to couple or attach this to an already established law. Our Labour members believe tluv this Act will be retained even when war is over.

Mr Price: Although Mr Tucker said there was no fight against the 1909 Act, some men went to gaol over it.

Mr Tucker: My statements are taken from records in the House.

Mr Semple: There was no Labour Party in the House in 1909. I suffered in my fight against that Act, and got a term in the "cooler." Mr Tosswill: You say that uo additional expense has attended the growth of , wool. Where does the- cost of manure come in ?

Mr Semple: I was reared on a sheep station. The small farmer manures for turnips. The big squatter's sheep grow wool by biting the grass on the mountains. If there is any extra cost it falls on the shepherd or musterer for boot leather. Mr Tosswill: What is the difference between the quality of wool grown on agricultural land and that grown on mountains?

Mr Semple: 1 don't know, and question if you know yourself. Turnips will grow in good soil without manure.

Mr Hector: Can we be sent back to work as conscripts if we strike! Isn't there a clause ju the Act giving power to do that?

Mr Senile: Yes. Under conscription the liberty of the subject is at an end. Conscript subjects nave, no civil rights.

Mr 'Cam: Can the cost of living be kept dtiwfcl Mr Semple: This Goverhineht admits it cannot keep it down, 'that's an admission it ds not as strong as the monopolists, who can raise prices rs they please. Cowardice on. the part of the Government won't let it tackle the job and crush monopolists.

Messrs Eamsden ami Fenton each asked questions which failed to be plainly heard, but to Mr Ramsden's question the answer came, "Yes."

Mr Tucker asked Mr Hector to put his question in writing and he would be pleased to reply either privately or on the public platform.

VOTE OF THANKS CARRIED. On the motion of Mr Tucker, seconded by Mr Ramsden, a vote of thanks was accorded Mr Semple. In seconding the motion Mr Ramsden said he regretted that so many had retired, leaving the hall so empty. He would have liked to test a vote on conscription as against the one carried at the last public meeting of citizens. At this stage there were perhaps about 60 persons in the hall.

ENTERTAINMENTS. A packed house greeted Private George Proctor and Mr Wesley-Bratt on Wednesday evening, when these popular entertainers revisited Kaitangata to give a musical evening in aid of the. Distress Fund for the Belgians.

Private, Proctor, who is always looked upon as being a Kaitangata man, having been resident here for some time prior to his going to Dunedin to undergo training in singing, gave evidence of a decided improvement in the use of his fine tenor voice, and jus various songs were happily chosen. Mr WesleyBratt gave a fine illustration of his powers and ability as a finished elocutionist, and particularly in his witticisms he received the appreciative applause of the house. Many of the items contributed by both gentlemen were what may be termed "old as the hills"; yet when reproduced by clever and competent artists added beauty and tone were given to the good old favourites. Miss Mansou acted as accompaniste at the piano. His Worship the Mayor (Mr R. Aitchison) presided.

Picture entertainments continue to attract full houses, and although several towns in the Otago and Southland districts have shown a decided drop in attendance at this form of entertainment, local proprietors certainly have no occasion to complain at the patronage extended them by the Kaitangata public. "The Million' Dollar Mystery" {s having a very successful run at the Church Hall. Here, too, a pleasing feature of the evening's entertainment is the excellent music contributed by an orchestra comprising seven instruments.

NEWS IN BRIEF. Ou Saturday evening Mr J. E/Pilling had on view in a window in Exmoutli Street a fine collection of photos containing views of the town, in which were included many prominent residents. The panoramic view of the town is one of the best that has yet been taken. Th.e enlargements and views were much admired by large numbers of people who were attracted to the window by the brilliancy of the Wizard light installed therein, and for which Mr Pilling is the local agent. The public and all interested in poultry are reminded that the Poultry Show to be held to-morrow will provide them with the opportunity to decide upon the merits or demerits of the various birds for show or utility. The school committee will meet this evening for the transaction of ordinary business. i

MINERS' UNION MEETING. At a meeting of the Miners' Union held on Saturday evening Mr R. Semple addressed the members, giving an account of transactions which led to the carrying forward of a scheme formulated by him for the safe working of the Huntly mine. Plans of the means adopted for the prevention -of an inrush of water through subsidence from the lake and river to the present workings were shown and favourably commented upon by those present! it came somewhat of a surprise to members when Mr Semple, in explaining various items of expenditure on the balancesheet presented by the Federation, stated that the salary of the agent (Mr Semple), though believed to be about £6 per week, was not in reality nearly so much as what appeared in the column of expenditure, for after paying his own hotel expenses the amount left him to send to his wife and family could be estimated at about £l> per week. Mr Semple went on to deal briefly with the work of the recent conference held in Wellington. This conference, held at the instance of the waterside workers, had been arranged for a date which almost immediately followed Other 'conferences held there, and this factor was one which caused the latest conference to be very poorly attended, except by those.appearing as proxy to distant unions. The result was that very little business of a really progressive nature was transacted. At the conclusion of his short address Mr Semple was accorded a hearty vote of thanks.

EMPLOYEES' BENEFIT SOCIETY. Matters in connection with the Employees' Benefit Society, a subject which is engaging the minds of a number of members at present, will come up for discussion at a union meeting to be held on Saturday, August 5. As there still remains with some employees a decided objection to their contributions being expended without their being allowed a voice in the disposal of their monies, the old fight against the present methods of administration will be renewed. The alleged injustice in the present methods "could well be explained, but as mystification begets curiosity it may result in a good attendance by leaving explanations to the speakers when the meeting eventuates. Suffice it to say that 'but for the appearance of Mi- Sera pie, and the desire Of members to hear his addresSj the matter wottld have been well thrashed out at the union meeting last Saturday .evening, when there was a really good attendance of members.