OBJECTORS TO SERVICE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 7 August 1941, Page 5

OBJECTORS TO SERVICE

REFERENCE BY MR DOIDGE (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) Wellington, This Day. i Conscientious objectors were referred to in the House of Representatives last I night by Mr F. W. Doidge (National, (Tauranga). He expressed the hope that the Government would state its intentions in respect to the appeals now before the tribunals, i “The country wants to know and the j Public is anxious about this," he added. The time was fast approaching when the married men would be called up. Was a stocktaking of manpower being carried out with a view to seeing where transfers could be made to relieve single men and allow them to join up? The single men should go to the war before those who were married. It was also desirable to know to what extent women could be used to relieve single men. What was to be done in respect to al ternative service? Mr Doidge asked. There were hundreds of cases before the appeal boards now and the country was anxious to know what was to be the policy of the Government. It was obvious that many of them could not be elevated to the Legislative Council. This statement was objected to by the chairman of Committees (Mr R. MeKeen) and it was withdrawn by Mr Doidge. "I want to know what will be done about these men,” he continued. Were they to be allowed to keep safe jobs and safe skins? One possible answer was that they were to keep safe skins because by precedent probably they would be running the country in the