"SHIRKERS AND COWARDS"

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 125, 28 May 1915, Page 3

"SHIRKERS AND COWARDS"

m — ELIGIBLE MEN WHO DO NOT ENLIST PLAIN SPEAKING BY BISHOP AVEKILL. (IT TELEGRAPH— SPECIAL TO TUB POST 4 AUCKLAND, This Day. An outspoken commemtary on the subject of recruiting is that offered, by Bishop Averill. There was, he said; in an interview, no doubt at the present time a very strong public opinion that all single eligible men between 20 and 40 years of age should offer their services in defence of tho Empire. Those ■who failed to- do so should be regarded and treated as shirkers. In his opinion, employers of labour should be urged to press this national duty on their unmarried employees and, 2 necessary, supplant single eligible men, with married men. Also, employers of labour should, where possible, endeavour to give some guarantee of employment to those who enlist so that if they return they may have some reasonable hope of a permanent position. The younger married men, thought the Bishop, might reasonably be urged to offer their services on condition that adequate provision be made for those dependent upon them, if possible by a sliding scale according to the number of dependents. Suitable conditions should also be made for widows and families in case <rf the death of a husband or father. " A definite time should be given to eligible men in -which to enlist," added Dr. Averill. "If that fails conscription should be enforced for unmarried men without dependents. There are hundreds, nay thousands, of ' young men hanging back, many of them from selfish .reasons, who should be shown plainly that they are branding themselves as cowards and shirkers." REFLECTION ON SINGLE MEN'S HONOUR. The Mayor (Mr. J. H. Gunson) is of the opinion that married men. should not be asked to join the Expeditionary Force while so many men without ties remain in the country. He is further of opinion that the young men will respond freely* when the position is placed before them. The very fact that it is necessary to call on married men will be regarded by many as a reflection upon the thousands of ablebodied young men. who remain. Mr. Gunson added : "I feel sure that the response to the call for duty will be so ready that compulsion will be unnecessary, for the suggestion that married men are wanted cannot be taken other than as a reflection on the honour and loyalty of the single men who do not go." EMPLOYERS' PART. The president of the Auckland Employers' Association, Mr. Ernest Craig, considers that the matter is one in which the employers should take firm steps in ths direction of assisting the authorities. "There is no getting away from the fact that there are shirkers;" said Mr. Craig, "and I think employers should, wherever possible, give preference to married men, unless there are special circumstances such as family ties or physical defects which would entitle the single man to special consideration. I am taking the matter up with the Employers' Association, and urge that as far as possible only married men be employed."