COMPULSORY SERVICE.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 179, 15 July 1911, Page 5

COMPULSORY SERVICE.

CORNISH REU SES TO PAY HIS FINE. AND IS SENT TO GAOL. [PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.] AA’ellington. July LI. Cornish, the father of the boy who recently w*as fined £1 and costa for failing to register under the Defence Act, informs the “Press” that the boy has been arrested and would have to serve 21 days in gaol. Cornish said that his son was only one out of 13,000 who have not been registered. A league has been formed in Brooklyn, and all youths in it were prepared to go to gaol rather than, comply with the law*. Cornish says that his son’s workmates collected the amount of the fine, but the lad refused to allow itto be paid, and has gone to gaol for his principles. It may be mentioned once again that going to gaol does not relieve the offenders from the necessity of registering, and they can be fined ad lib till the}- do register.

“FRIENDS” OBJECT TO SERVE. THE MINISTER’S REPLY. Auckland, July* Ifi. A deputation from the Society oi Friends w-aited on the Hon. GeorgeFowlds and asked that some provision should be made whereby they might be relieved of all military duty in connection with the Defence scheme. The speakers said it was totally against their principles to take part in anything connected with war, and declared they would rather leave New Zealand. They would not hesitate to emigrate if the present, existing law was insisted upon. They did not wish to lie regarded as unpatriotic, but they positively refused to become part of the military paraphernalia. They suggested they might be considered to conform to the law* by joining somesuch society as the St. John Ambulance Association. The Alinister expressed his sym-

pathy with the deputation in the matter of their conscientious objections. He had thought himself to obtain the insertion of a clause in the Act providing for non-eombat-ants and their duf ics. but it was understood that the Government’s own ambulance corps would fill all requirements under this head. He -did not know whether military camps would be necessary, and there might be some modification in the uniform, hut their system of nail crsal military training had been cmisented to by the country and could not be disorganised by making any exemptions. If “Friends” were allowed unlimited exemption tbf'ir society would become so enlarged by people washing to escapemilitary duty that the whole position would become a farce. He promised to see what could be done.