NEW ZEALAND AND COMPULSORY SERVICE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLIX, Issue XLIX, 3 January 1916, Page 1

NEW ZEALAND AND COMPULSORY SERVICE

' lIaILWAYMEN'-S attitude,. , • HCPLY TO JTEJDJEIIATiaNr; CONSCRIPTION FOE 1 SHIRKERS. :-.' ' i - Tho reply sent by the-secretary of the ■■■■< ■ New Zealand. Locomotive Enginedrivers',. Firemen and,_GLeaners' Association, to the " circular of rJie Federation of Labour, in- , siting delegates to aft; S'an-ti-cqnscription" sv v conference iti Wellington this , month, states: — ",My executive council, after, duly con•sidenng the matter of conscription, bega C - to differ from the attitude taken up by the Federation of Jjabour, and desires to. place, its views before your federation iti case Ave cannot send a representative to the conference. A large number of our fellow-workers, numbering -many- thous-, ands, have already volunteered, and. aire in the fighting-line, and therefore my union considers that if the large number , of eligible members at present New ■ .-Zealand will not- join of their.own ■-ac-'V-'• cord, they should be compelled to go.' All of our fel low --work ers \v,ho have enlisted up to the present .did so "with ,tha understanding that ■■■they, would-be supported by the remaining members when" they opportunity of enlisting. It j seems quite obvious to this union thaib * [ there are many members of the com- 1 munity -who could go, but "who refuse to . fulfil their obligations to the Empire, - t and many of these are .members of well- '' i> . to-do families. It appears that compulsion is the only remedy for these* members. My union considers that much more could be done by unions ui oi'der to ensure ihe voluntary system being" a success, and if it is successful then' conscription will, not be enforced. Therefore, we should .lilce; to -know -what- e£- > fpits are being made, by the federation, : of • Labour to make-'the voluntary system a- success. If ,no efforts > have been" made \ to ensure its success, then we cannot see • t : how any union can- •logically; oppose any " compulsory system which may . Tbe introduced to take itlie place o£ a system that has failed. Alv union-■■•■'would here suggest that all unions should co-operate* v with 'the Government .in. its present endeavour to make 'the-■■'voluntary system a success in. its present scheme. j\Jy Exe- * cutive Con noil considers that 'the war has proceeded now to such an extent . thai, ; the question of it bping a just or . aiv unjust one is ,pust discussing. Tho .ques-' • tion now is : Are wo going to allow ourselves to bo beaten by the Gem«ns? My ' •union's answer to this ..<]n£sVion ■ is that we pre not going to allwv tho British Empire to be defeated, which gives suchi freedom and conditions of life excelled- ; , by no other nation. If Ave as do not csjov all that is ours by right," then tho fd-ult lies -with the -workers for not exercising/'the machinery in our power. Therefore, if the ■■■voluntary sys-- 'v tern fails, 'any umoil will not raise ajsy objection to a" form of: compulsion for those members who will not enlist."'