A DISGRACEFUL STATE OF THINGS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1209, 18 August 1911, Page 3

A DISGRACEFUL STATE OF THINGS.

■ linve noticed of Into the increasingly'numnrous number of letters appearing in each day's edition of your journal, which undoubtedly signifies tho undisputed fact that Ttiu Dominion is now reKihlpil as the "people's voicing oruan." Wliv-'r Simply because of its enormous circulation —tlio fact of iU circulal from one end of the Dominion to t'lio other. What I also wish to make known to your numerous and over-increasing subscribers is till'-;: Is it possible that, many thousands of parents are going to s-taud bv dumbfounded and see their sons drugged into this base military training, without coming forward and exercising their proper power to have thus heinous Act abolished before the country gets* involved in any further debt with it? T also wish parents would remember this: which I think a most horribly degrading thing for the Government to bo allowed to deprive the boys of their once glorious freedom given them ever sines England has been England. Can it be true—l trust, not—that ouy English-speaking Govern, went should be allowed to introduce such

an Act without being immediately kicked out of oliicer Now, Mr. Ednor, why should the Government be allowed to pass an Act or' this kind without lir?t consulting tile people—say, at the election time? I think it most grossly unfair that Acts of the above kind that considerably aiVect tho interests of the community should be allowed, to be put into operation without' the consent of the people themselves. Why? it is most outrageous that the young citizens ot this once tree land of ours should be forced into that which they so loathe. No. 1 say every man for li'is own taste. A boxer tor boxing; a footballer for fiotball; a .thief for thieving; an anarchist for anarchy; and s'o on. Then would it be fair lo intiodiicc a Bill making any of the above compulsory? Well then 1 say let those ivho uphold military training do it. If the people were to appeal to the Government. Co have, the great life destroyer—the poisonous and corrupting alcoholic liquor traffic abolished lrom this country—the Government: would immediately cry out aghast: JLlow could we do sucti a thing without the consent of the people? They could do it all right; but they know too well what, the drinking community would do with them. They would immediately throw them out of power—that's what they wotild do. Well then, if both the members'of Parliament, and those who favour drink were suddenly deprived of their so-called freedom—the glass of spirits —would they be so willing to come forward and declare their support of tho military training? No. I think not. W 7 ell, the time is now approaching for mothers, and those desirous of punishing the supporters of military training, by just bringing about' total prohibition. Then would be the time to hear the so-called supporters of military training crying out: "Oh! Where has our glorious freenom gone?" They arc the class who cry out for this military training, they are the class who support tbc Government'; and but for that class we would never have had this obnoxious compulsory training to contend with. I also nolice that some of our boys have gone to gaol, while others are leaving the country. I think cases of this kind clearly expose their true British bull-dog determination. I feel sure their actions will win the true admiration of quilo two-thirds of the Dominion's population. ■ ' . Apologising for trespassing on so much of your valuable time and-space,—l am, etc., H. .T. STRATFORD.