MR MYERS HECKLED.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVI, Issue 116, 14 May 1912, Page 2

MR MYERS HECKLED.

WOMEN.AND DEFENCE

A VOLUBLE DEPUTATION

CHORUS OF INTERJECTIONS

CHR'TSTCHURCH, May 10. A deputation of women waited on the Hon. A. M. Myers, Minister for Defence, to-df-y on the • subject r.t military training. It wis very e/i dent that some of those present took, a merely theoretical interest in the question. On the other1 hand there were those who. as mothers of lads who had suffered imprisonment, fe't a very poin.o:n>.nt orie. Some of the spea-kers stated their views with a volubility and extravagance of language which took away from the deputation's protest any-.dignity.it mishit lifi.ve hod. The deputation was introduced oy the Rev. L. M. tatt, M.P. Quite a. number of women insisted on SDcaking, p-Prl the Minister attempted u.nsuooessfully to stem the torrent of sneecher?. Finally, he rose find insisted on TP-.'i.ktng his reply. He said th?it ho fully recognised the earnest spirit of the speakers. This w^s #ertainly the mqfit frank deputation h" h;iid'ever received. When 'ladies tool; 1 up uny matt-ec th«it appealed to thji'-r----consciences tbere was no one more in earnest. He was not surprised nt their earnestness, and neither was he

surprised at their extravagant language. The Minister was not allowed to proceed very far before •'& babel v' dissent broke out, and remarks of a painfully free sort were addressed to him from a section of the audience. Quito a number of ladies', who were j talcing the . affair quietly, sat ba-jS i and smiled. Finally, Mr Isitt nrosc. ! and mad:e ;a remonstrance, and; i:ir Myers was allowed to proceed. Mr Myers went on to say tliat fcrsonaJly, having lost his father at an early age, he had beon in a posit io"i fully to appii-.eciate the ©are o^- a. good mother. He' -.recognised: taa t •vvoinen v/ere more dib'ectly and- nidireotly intorestedl than men in the. Act. He intended to speak very frankly to them. They resented encroachments on their rights a-nd priyi- | leges, but they must .recognise their i resppiisibilities. "The system had been . brought in to keep this free country i fi^epr, and to keep it as free us possible. - I

An incredulous whistle came fvyn the audience—it may have been fr >m one of the ladies: Mr Myers, resuming, said that lie be]ieved_the defence would strengthen parental-" control over the young This was greeted-with another 'Hitburst of dissent, and1 some vigorous "Noes!"

Mr Myers, replied -that parental control was -w&ning. Ttoero was nothing more •calculated-to strengthen it than the discipline tho boys would learn in camps. This evoked a'frantic outburst, ard cries of "Conscript!" etc. Undaunted, Mr v Myers staa-terl again. This, he said, was sai age r-! great armaments.-*- The more t»iey were Tjrepcired for war, the les-s. they were likely to get it. "It mejins more war!" the depiitation contradicted.

"A Prime Minister can betray his country !'' someone^ cried. Mr Myers said he intended to carry out his duty. He declined'to consular the defence question from the point./;f political expediency.; He wiould "riot do--that with any Vqu-estion so > far as lie 'Was conoorned-V In spite of the threats of wiping ,out the Liberal party a.nd; wiping out. himself, ihe law would be carried out. The deputation could put ypeople in power tc represent them and the la-w would ikj altered. >

There was another noisy demonstration though several of th© leaders cul!---ed for silence and. .appreciated I(iC Minister's statement of the case.

• My Myers appealed, to the deputation not to be obi^essed with their own point of view. He hoped they would never have a foreign foe here carrying-' out -atrocities, which, he could not rp.Fcr to in the presence of women. There was no such thing as^ conscription. "It is conscription!" came the reply. "You have, mad© up your minds.'' said Mr,Myers. "Th© training is to help our men to repel aai invasion of our hearths- andi homes!" "Rot!" was the elegant inteipol ation by a liady with a strong voic-3. Mr Myers took exception to ibis interjection, ?ind several 'member*? of the deputation indicated their Jisple^sure. * Mr Myers concluded the interview with n, veiy definite statement: "So long as I am Deience Minister, 'uid a- member of Parliament and consider thlat tlie Act is in the best intevpsts of the community I intend to support it." H© regretted the display of feeling, andl advised!'the.ladies to look on all sides of th© que££ion. * "We have been reading the military .journals," ono of "fern retorted.