CORRESPONDENCE

Evening Star, Issue 16279, 23 November 1916, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE

HON. J. T. PAUL AND CONSCRIPTION. TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —I perused with interest the report ecuiained m your issue of yesterday of the meeting of the executive of the Otago Patriotic and General Welfare -Association. T had hoped that the Hon. J. T. Paul would have put forth a clear explanation of his attitude towards Conscitpypn. I have read Horn tune to time many intensely interesting articled from the pen of Mr Paul, and have always admired the clear, lucid manner in which he expressed hU views on the matters ho dealt with. On the present occasion, however, either my understanding' is at fault or Mr Paul ha) failed to express himself with his usual perspicacity. Possibly he is not good at verbal explanations;, but is more at home with his pen, I think all your readers would be interested to have Mr Paul’s views put fully before them. As I understand it at present, ho is anxious that there should be conscription of wealth. What I cannot understand is how, at this present juncture, this would assist matters. What is wanted now is men to enable us to withstand our Gorman enemies, and, failing these being forthcoming, the probability is that Germany will bo successful. What does Mr Paul suggest to enable us to hold our own ? As the working classes are In the majority, in a Dominion like ours it would be a simple matter to tax wealth, as far as is necessary to supply the fluids required to defray the cost of the war, as if the present Government will not do this the working classes can easily supplant them at the next election by a Government that will; but conscription of wealth at the present moment will not, as far as I can see, assist in bringing the war to a successful termination. What wo want is fighters, not money, and to me Conscription appears to be the fairest way of supplying these, as it takes the wealthy man’s son as well as the working man's son. What does Mr Paul mean by “ conscription of wealth ” ? How far would this go ? Could ha not put his ideas on this point into a w-.rking term, and inform us how ha would put them into practice? In hi-, speech Mr Paul said that “when the citizens understood; exactly where ha stood be was satisfied what their verdict would! be.” If Mr Paul has any really workable scheme in lib mind, it surely should be a very simple matter for him to put it before the citizens in a clear, practicable manner. If he does this it will dispose of the impression which I nm afraid now exists in the minds of many—viz., that Mr Paul is merely a vague theorist posing before the public as Sir Oracle; and that, like Nero, ho is simply giving us a violin performance while Home burns. The Hon. Mr Paul’s remarks about the Australian referendum and democracy and war (if reported correctly) appear to me to be somewhat oryptical and entirely, irrelevant to the present position. It is useless talking about being opposed to war when the war is in actual progress. No doubt the German Socialists are opposed, to war, but at the present moment they are in the trenches putting up a good fight for their country.— l, am, etc.. Inquirer. November ZU