THE MINISTER OF DEFENCE.

Evening Star, Issue 16263, 4 November 1916, Page 5

THE MINISTER OF DEFENCE.

to tub j:imtok. Sir. —I hoid nil l)iit-t for the Cloveniment or the Defence .Minuter in their relalionship to conscription and its administration, but as oik"; wild has been, in the capacity of chahm.m of the (Itago Iv: -cmiting Committee thi' jinst two years, in close touch with the .Minister of Defence aiul his department un recruiting luuttcvs, I think it is due to that gentleman (the lion. .Mr Aii.'ii) that exception should he taken to the remark;-; made liy city councillors at. the council table on Wednesday (■veiling last when dealing v. itii a. letter received from the. I'c: -uiting Hoard. \\'-.\- liiH,lon. Willi the knowledge gained ironi many communications received from the .Minister and the j'ocruiting lioaid. and hum lepeated intorvii'ws with them lioth here and in Wellington, I haven't the. slightest doubt thai, the .Minister and his department aie ...-ha; every means in their power in ox.hi' 10 enable ihe provisions of the .Milium- .Service -Act to bo brought into force at- the earliest possible, inomeiil. Surely no man can expect, this .Act to be administered as (juielJy iu most o:her Acts passed each session. In mo !.- of those little or no regulation is ncees ury, and in none, of them is information required from over 200,000 men -Information which has to be i becked and vriiiod. in order to ciisinx; ah.-unite acci-; a cy .ml fairness to eveiy man required in hi; oa the roll. I am sure (Jr Sinclair, with his legal knowledge, must have some idea of the magnitude of the task and of th> necessary procidme before every 1 hi :>>; can 1)0, completed in readiness fur active conscription. And the Act has hern passed only some three months—not eight months, as stated at the council table. Reflations could not be made until the Act wa.; passed. 1 am aware that the < lovcrnin..■:;:. would like to continue the voluntary system, and so would almost any (loverninent while success attended their elfoits in that direction. It was only when voluntary enlistments fell well below the requirements in the .Mother Land that they introduced conscription, here it is the .same; but I am satislied that no time is being wasted, and that conscription will be utilised at the earliest possible moment now that the men refuse to volunteer. Our committee., under the conditions prevailing for some time past, will welcome conscription, and for that reason would tiesitate to screen even the IMinister of Defence if his actions called for criticism. I am sure the Mayor could have enlightened councillors; but a.s ih-ro is nothing in the report of the meeting of his having done so, I deem it my duty to assure the citizens of Dunedin that, from the information communicated to us by letter and by interview, there can be no doubt of Mr Allen's wish and intention to enforce tho Act at the earliest possible moment. Even -to-day it is being enforced under clause 35—tho only opportunity until the machinery for tho ballot is pomplete. _ Surely this is an. indication of tho intention of the Government to enforce, tho Act. Those concerned, and who think otherwise, will soon receive a rudo shock. Might I be permitted to add that during the whole of our two years' recruiting work we have received every consideration and assistance from the Minister of Defence, even when many of our communications or roauesta could. j»t moot witi lifc"

approval. I pen these linos in bare justice to, J believe, oiio of the hardest-worked men in New Zealand, and one of the most ciiusc.iiiiit.iims, but also tlio most abased, Coming events will no doubt clear the ail? in the latter respect.—l am, etc., A. SroNKHAjr, Chanman Otago Recruiting: Committee. November 4/