MILITARY SERVICE

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17199, 20 June 1916, Page 7

MILITARY SERVICE

PROTESTS M LABOUR BODIES

PRIME MINISTER REPLIES TO OPPONENTS OF BILL.

A CITIZEN'S DUTY TO THE STATE.

[From Our Corekspondent.] WELLINGTON, June 19.

The Prime Minister has made available for publication correspondence he has had with Mr Hiram Hunter, secretary of the United Federation of Labour, while the Military Service Bill was before the House. Mr Hunter wrote:—

" I have to express regret on behalf of the United Federation of Labour that the Government cannot agree to give tho workers of New Zealand and others who may wish to do so an opportunity to express their view in reference to tho drastic provisions of the Bill. Members of Parliament may be determined to inflict conscription upon New Zealand without haying received any mandate from their constituents and in defiance of the expressed wish of the working class, and they are in a position to do so as far as the enactment of the measure is concerned, but if they do it will be none the le6s an outrage upon this democratic young country. The question of conscription was not before the people at tho general election. They have not had an opportunity of discussing the question and they would not agree to it unless it was preceded by the nationalisation of the resources of the country, and then only if it was demonstrated to thorn beyond a doubt that it was essential to the success of the Allied forces.

" If the Government pledged itself to supply a certain number of men and to keep up the original strength by reinforcements prior to taking steps to ascertain ihe number of men available by means of the National Register, it goes to show that its zeal outran its discretion and it is prepared to violate every democratic principle in its endeavour to make good. We have it on tho authority of Colonel Churchill that there aro 200,000 servants waiting upon officers on the Western front and another 50,000 acting as grooms, and yet your Government has the temerity to propose that this country shall conscript its manhood on the grounds of necessity. If the Government wauts national service it must ensure that those who are called upon to serve the State are really doing so and not serving merely the capitalistic combines and landed proprietors who are waxing fat upon the Empire's misfortunes. If the Military Service Bill is placed upon the Statute Book and put into operation prior to the levying of adequate direct taxation to cover war expenditure, and the appropriation of all war profits, it will be against the best interests of the Empire. The voluntary system has proved a magnificent success, and all the men this country can spare, without unduly hampering its productive capacity, will be forthcoming. The voluntary system will ensure a reasonable amount of consideration It tends to prevent hazardous or foolhardy exploits where men are likely to be needlessly sacrificed; in short, it prevents Prussian militarism, and the introduction of conscription means that the Prussians have obtained, to say the least, a moral victory, and British blood and treasure have flowed in vain. It is evident that your Government is out of touch with public opinion on this question. The workers are convinced that you and your colleagues are more concerned about using conscription for industrial than for military purposes, and if your Government forces the passage of the Military Service Bill it is simply emulating the ostrich." MB. MASSEY'S REPLY. The Prime Minister's reply, after pointing out that the workers first urged conscription upon the Minister of Defence at Hillside, Dunedin, and repudiating the claim of the Federation of Labour to represent public opinion, goes on to say:— " Upon one point I am in agreement with you, that ' the voluntary system has proved a magnificent success, but it has been, and is, in danger of failing, and for that reason the Government has to consider other measures, and here you force me to remind you that the United Federation of Labour has done absolutely nothing to help on the recruiting movement and to thus ensuro tho success of the voluntary effort. On the contrary, some of its leaders, backed up by the journal that describes itself as the 'official organ of the United Federation of Labour and the Social Democratic Party,' have. done a good deal to discourage recruiting by the unpatriotic stand they have taken in their comments upon the war and Great Britain's part in the struggle. mat being the case, and as I am well advised that you cannot point to a single member of your Federation executive who has personally interested himself in the matter, I fail to see how you can possibly claim credit tor the success of tho voluntary movement, which has actually been imperilled by the past actions of your federation. A CITIZEN'S DUTY. " Do you not think it is about time that the lenders of your Federation, with its rank and fib, began to recognise the responsibilities that citizenship entails? - To me it has always seemed a regrettable thin.? that so mmny people are so ready, while accepting all the rights and privileges, to ignore the responsibilities and duties of citizenship- You look to the State for protection against the aggressions of an enemy, and you have a right to do so provided that when tho State claims your services for the protection of others you are ready to help in the defence of your fellow citizens. The people who shirk their responsibilities as citizens are no good to the State, especially in times of such national peril as now confront us, and I am satisfied that their opinions carry very lititlo weight with their fellows in other part.-; of the Dominion. LIFE AND DEATH STRUGGLE. '•' So far as the Government is concerned it has the one supreme, object hi view, and I believe the country is solidly with it in its inflexible determination to do all within its power to assist' tho Mother Country and her allies in bringing tho war to a successful conclusion and to thus free the democracies of the world from , the of Prussian tyranny. Apparently "you and those who agree with you have net yet grasped the elementary fact that wc are committed to a life and death struggle, from which it may take all our strength and wit to emergo triumphant. Wore Germany to triumph through any unhappy chance the iron heel of the oppressor would soon he felt by the workers of this Dominion in common with those of the other portions of the Empire. What then would become of the rights and privileges you aro able to claim in our free democracy to-day, rights raid privileges which you are apparently so unwilling to defend against an unscrupulous and inhuman foe? . DUTY TO THE STATE. " Tho present ia no timo for half -

hearted measures, nor for whining protests against the alleged ( Prussianisation' of the nation. That can only be, brought about if New Zealanders aro untrue to themselves and fail to recognise that just as the State has its duties towards them so they have their duties towards the State, and that if they fail to respond to the call of duty the State has the right to demand their services for tho defence of the community. While the State protects tho individual the individual must also help to protect the State Failure to discharge tho duties of citizenship in tho hour of national peril can only bo regarded a> a sign of unworthiness in the individual unfitting him for the ordinary rights of citizenship."