OBLIGATIONS MUST BE FULFILLED

Evening Post, Volume XCI, Issue 94, 20 April 1916, Page 3

OBLIGATIONS MUST BE FULFILLED

MEETING AT NEWTOWN.

TO MAKE COMPULSION UNNECESSARY."

Councillor W H. P. Barber presided at the meeting held at the Newtown School, at which there was an attendance of about 30 people. Those present included several ladies, the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke), Mr. J P. firth, and Colonel Porter. The chairman explained the object of tho meeting, which was to "enlist" everybody present. They were all eligible to assist in the recruiting campaign whicli it^had been decided to carry out in the city of Wellington. There was a demand for a certain number of recruits each month, and, unfortunately, Wellington had not come quite up to the mark, although it had done very ! well. They wanted the sympathies of everybody in securing recruits in order that' the ranks of the reinforcements j could be filled. The volunteer system | had not failed yet, because it had not been given a thorough trial. It would not fail if they all worked hard in the direction desired. He was sorry that there was not a larger number present, but still he thought the meeting capable of good work. | The Mayor said that New Zealand, with the rest of the Empire, was under an obligation which it must fulfil. The Dominion was pledged to carry out its promises to the authorities at Home, and therefore the Reinforcement drafts would have to be filled up. We had done excellently so far. There still remained hundreds of young men in New Zealand who had not 'enlisted, but he was sure they would enlist, if it was brought home to them as a personal obligation. They were not staying behind because they were afraid. He wae abso. lutely sure of that. They could not wait for the Government's measure, to compel men to go into camp. He was sure it would not be necessary to wait for such a measure. It had been very trying for some.men who had four or five children and were anxious to go to the front. " When those men came to me," said Air. Luke, "I tell them that the obligation is on the shoulders of others." If the meeting formed .itself into a sound working committee, wonderful results would be obtained, and tho Government would be satisfied that tho Reinforcements were going to be found ae they were wanted. Mr. J. P. Firth said it was a question which every young man must put to himself. He alone must decide Another speaker was Mr. Bezar, a Crimean veteran, who said he could not understand how so many young men were content to remain about the streets when wounded soldiers were, coming back almost weekly. Colonel Porter, representing the National Reserve, said he was there to offer his services in connection with personal appeals. The Reserve had worked very hard in some quarters of th© Dominion. It might appear that they had not been very active here. That was a fact. The reason was that tho Territorial officers here had undertaken so much of the work. However, the Reserve—including the women's branch—would be more active in the future. • At the conclusion of the speeches, the Chairman moved : "That all present resolve to do all in their power to extend ihe recruiting of eligible young men, and form themselves into a committee 10 give effect to the resolution." Mr. J. D. Crewes supported the motion, but urged that . the ugly word "compulsion" should be kept in the background. Let them do all they could to make compulsion unnecessary. The motion was carried unanimously Councillor W H P. Barber _ was appointed chairman of the committee, and 'Mr. W. Beck secretary. A meeting of I -lie committee was then held, and the i necessary preliminary steps for a per- | ;onal canvass were taken.