FEMININE DEPUTATIONISTS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17192, 12 June 1916, Page 9

FEMININE DEPUTATIONISTS.

PREMIER'S ENTERTAINING HOUR. [From Our Correspondent.] / WELLINGTON, June 11. A women's anti-conscription deputation to the Prime Minister on Saturday consisted of thirty people, thoroughly in earnest, but the display of essentially feminine qualities made the wholo proceedings very entertaining. Mr J. M'Combs, M.P., introduced tlio deputation as representative of women's organisations and a large body of public opinion which was honestly una sa-ciiuuusly opposed to tho, Military Service BUI. Three ladies were named as speakers, but the whole thirty got in their verbal shots at various times. Mrs Donaldson, a well-known platform speaker in Wellington, said the workers had given so strenuously ot their life that the women felt that the Bid was uncalled for. The result of voluntary effort showed there was no need for compulsion. "Wherever yon have military power you have degradation— history proves that," said Mrs Oonaldson. "As the mothers ot tho nation wo protest against bringing lives into the world to be used, when reaching manhood, in tho interests of a class which does not represent our in-, forests. Tho working classes have always fought tho battles, paid Uw debts, and lost their liberties when gioat wars have been fought. ° "We as mothers object to our boys being forced to go to the war if they don't want," said Mrs Aitkon. ' 1 have never done anything to hinder recruiting, and I'll never do anything to advance it! Why should we force anvone to go if wo don't want to /go ourselves!" As for the "spying clauses" of tho Act, she would "do time" rather than "put away' anyono for not going to light for her at he didn't wish to.

"IP THE GERMANS CAME.", Tho Prime Minister: Supposing the Germans came along, what) would you do? Mrs lit ken: I'd fight them if they interfered with me, but not otherwise. Wo should light for liberty and freedom, but not give it away in this manner I , , , ~ ir Mrs Taylor, who had a son at Gaßipoli, considered tho Bill a direct insult to the boys who had gone.; Conscription was not wanted to win the war but to keep down the workers and got a tighter grip of the worker. Tho Prime iMinister: You must not ftilV tiltlfc ''Mrs Taylor: "If I'm out of order I won't say it.'' , The Prime Minister: No. you ro not out of order, but you arc mistaken." Mrs Taylor declared that it was simply the workers' bodies which the Government wanted. People in high places would be let oft. AN IRISHMAN'S COMPLIMENT. Mrs Snow stated that all her sons had enlisted except a married one, who could not go unless the Government could do better for married

men. "I rcallv think yon only want the Bill so as to get the single )men cheaper," continued the lady. "Now look at me " The Prime Minister: "I have been looking at you with a great deal of admiration!" (Laughter.)

Mrs Snow: " I forgot you are an Irishman." (Loud laughter, in winch the Prime Minister joined heartily.) "Too drastic for words—absolutely taking the last shred of liberty." declared another lady, who held that it would go against the conscience of any woman" to give away the fact that a young eligible man was not enrolled. SEIZING AN OPPORTUNITY. Another lady spoke of the sanitary conditions in the camps, but. admitted she had never seen either Fcatlicrston or Trentham. "Then I'll give you n- pass to both camps. You can see for yourself," roA plied the Prime Minister. "And a railway pass?" asked the lady. •• I'll pay for it out of my own pocket," said Mr Massoy. "And can I take, a friend, poke about and see underneath—not only on the surface?" "Yes. we'll give you a guide and a pass to go everywhere." NO CLASS DISTINCTIONS.

The Prime Minister, having ascertained that there were no more speakers, commenced to reply twenty minutes after tho deputation had opened. He found himself still replying forty minutes later, to the ladies' afterthoughts. They were loth to let him have'the last' word. He conceded that the deputation was quite honest in its objection to the Bill, I>ufc there was a good deal of misapprehension, and he doubted if many of his hearers had read it. The Bill did not do away with* the privilege of volunteering. Unless some great emergency camo along which we could not foresee at the moment, each district would send its monthly quota voluntarily, and only resort to tho ballot if the voluntary enlistments failed. There was absolutely no class distinction about it. "Oh, Mr Massey!" said a lady in a shocked tone. " How could you say that?"

The Prime Minister explained that to the millionaire s son and the worker's son the Bill would impartially apply. "I suppose you suggest 1 am not a worker?" be remarked during a little argument on the point he sustained with several ladies. "I was working in my office till three o'clock this morning, and I don\t get paid overtime."

"But you get more than £2 a week!" exclaimed a lady in the triumphant tone of one who has found an unanswerable argument. The Premier's reply was that if the rich man's son did not volunteer under the voluntary system the Bill would enable the State to pef. the man. "And his money!''" queried a deputation ist sharply. "All we want." said the Premier.

An expressive chorus of "Oh'a" provoked Mr Mosscy to ask that surely tho deputation did not want the Government to take more than it needed. The Government took .£2,000,000 last year and it might take more this year, because we were spending nearly a million a mouth. "We want to avoid taxing the worker, and there is no country where his exemption from direct taxation is so high as here." Coming back to his original point tho Prime .Minister said it would ho impossible for a man to escape becauso he was rich. "None of our butter merchants hnvo gone!" declared a lady. VERY HART) TO PLEASE.

The Prime Minister referred to tho importance of the Military Service Boards in seeing fair play. The Government would appoint to these boards the straightest men possible to find.

''"What, about putting a woman there?" came a suggestion. The Prime Minister: ''l don't know but that we might. The matter has not been decided." He recognised that without good boards there would bo serious trouble. And in every case they were going to have military doctors.

Tho ladies : Oh ! worse still! Tho Prime Minister: Well, you arc hard to please! It might be possible to influence a local or family doctor, so the men will bo examined by strangers to them. The first class to be called will be the single men without dependents. Voices: Shame! ** Mrs Donaldson: The young man may not have dependents, but he may have a moral conscience. ••Send tho fellows over forty, was ono of tho suggestions, which now came fast and furious. '• I don't, mind having this out, but wo cannot, all speak at once," said the Prim* Minister, good humourodly. The deputation wanted a written

guarantee that the principlo of compulsion would end with tho end of the war. Mr Massey said this was in the Bill. PRIME MINISTER EMPHATIC.

When a Jady asked if a man with a. religious objection would have to go, the Primo Minister brought about his head a perfect buz/, of protest when he declared with an emphatic gesture: "The State comes first! "

" You'll drive him at tho point, of the bayonet!" interjected a. lady whose excellent voice enabled her to be heard above tho uproar. "If he won't clo his duty he must be driven!" said the Primo Minister, with a si ranger gesture of emphasis. It was impossible to noto all the interesting things said, sometimes in thorns, but a lady who made an entirely fresh and amusing suggestion suddenly obtained a good listening audience by .suggesting to the Prime Minister: "What about closing up Parliament and all you old men going?" There was loud laughter, especially when the lady, who happened to be at the Prime Minister's elbow, assured him that "if tho Premier went, she would go too, nnd nurse him!" The Pri™..Minister: It's very good of you ! When Igo to. the war I shall in"ke it the condition that 1 have tho selection of the nurse. (Loud laughter.) "Every man will fight for his country when it is really necessary," said the next Jady to "bold the floor." The Prime Minister: Why. is it not necessary now. when civilisation is trembling in the balance? GETTING THE LAST WORD.

" Tlie whole thing comes down to this." declared tho Prime Minister towards the end of his lively hour. " You have to choose between the British rule and German rule. I give you credit for being every bit as patriotic as I am, but that's the choice!" "Not your patriotism," suggested a deputationist.

"There may be varieties, and we must aeree to differ," replied the Prime Minister, " but we want our armies to win the war, and wo must win! Now." ho ended. "T have cleared up tho important points." "Stirred them up!" corrected a ladv. who atoned for her sharp interruptions by assuring the Prime Ministor, "Wo have, a bettor impression of you. but not of the Bill." " Tho nicest oomnlimenf. I've had for many a day," declared MV Ma--sey, as he bowed out the deputationist?, answering more questions all the time.