CAUTION NEEDED

Evening Post, Volume XCI, Issue 108, 8 May 1916, Page 8

CAUTION NEEDED

TO 188 EDITOR. Sir, —Conscription! The burning question of the day and talked of and favoured by 50 many. The member of the House predicts it to be the point which solves all future difficulties. To save trouble and inconvenience the Mayor's recruiting committees met and passed resolutions without debate that conscription was now the necessary step. We are all entitled to our opinions, but before it- is too late let the members of the House who will have most say in this matter ask is the passing of conscription going to win the war? The main thing to consider by every thinking man is : How are we going to win this war'/ There are two essentials, men and money. Conscription will supply 'the men and commercial trade the money. It is more necessary to keep up the trade of England now, and the action of the Imperial Government under the Derby scheme— when it instructed English firms doing colonial and other trade that it was their duty to keep their men abroad and increase the exports if possible to relieve the financial pressure, and it only required the firm to bring the matter under the notice of the British Government to immediately get exemption, even under' the voluntary system—shows very clearly the mind of the financial men in the Government, and what is necessary there is just as necessary here. Therefore, conscription must be graded and safeguarding claims inserted to keep our a-nd their financial positions safe. Lastly, there is this point to consider—is our promise of men too large? New Zealand is a small country, which in peace time did not possess one man more than she required, and there was never need of any unemployment. That is quite different in old European countries, which always had large surplus populations ; but with all the surplus we are told they can only supply 10 per cent, of its male population for the army. Therefore, 1 claim |this is a point for consideration, and although I, like most of The Post's readers, think conscription is one method towards the end, still we have yet to prove that our voluntary system hasfailed, so I hope the members of the House of Representatives will look at the subject from all lights before coming to the conclusion which means so much. — I am, etc., CAREFUL. 6th May, 1916.