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North Otago Times, Volume CV, Issue 13929, 11 July 1917, Page 7

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ur favoto 0¥ GOING "WELLINGTON, July 8. Jf .*jj£*it« evideat now that there i.ss HSBBjfejcii a E tho sllouse wlio lmve ,sswt% to Wtihliig'tojis with some sort yf is«atli«t 2Te*r Zealand need not trouble -%■ about «oudlng' ficlnforrc- * jMKtiSj, „l?Srhen the Military Service *** .before the House, moat of the iSeabsrs Relieved Hint it ■ never would »w neccss&ry ; to call tip the married ,«ass. It is possible that the Bill n«tve n«tve met with move opposition it it had been at that time apparant thit conscription would have at length rc. be applied to .niarHcd men. The Guvcrnir eat; understood the position than this, and introduced a. ftteasute to ..deal., with the military ser~viHt question, icoitiprehensively. The government luuV had to withdraw a makeshift measure providing fat the conscription of only the uiit'Mnrrin! men, and replace it with a fcaaeral conscription Bill. Profiting by ti.at experience, the Government &sre iMd not attempt to deal' ■with' the question piecemeal. Now that the application of the law Ss drawing near, there are members of Parliament who are getting faintLwtul. Nobody has yet declared vpenly that he is opposed to any more sent;.out of 'the country, or 041. of' the few members who have li;ul ® a opportunity of speaking 011 the sublet this session sojue have expressed the oplpioti that New Zealand hus done very well, ami that the time Ims con;£. jfor «the (Government to take thought whether it is right for us .to go ob sending Reinforcements at the same rate. _ livery statement of Ibis Jiisid has been endorsed always by sharp "Hear, bear's'» from other members, allowing that the feeling is not lr.eojisidcrtible. Now the statement of Mr Maasey in England, that ho thought New Zealand would bo able *ii send' 100,000 men is being taken up ** * test by the men whq wish to say that we should slow up. But at the tiaie the statement was made these 3ftiiio,,jntn were probably among those who ssui lthat Mr Ifassoy was promis- ; »<„' too niucli. Now they are saying | that dOOjOOO men will be as many as j tills country can afford to send. Sir Joseph Ward said a few words on Friflay whichj although they had no definite;: meaning themselves, were yet calculated ; to encourage tlie idea that !«■ ii f tirao the Government re-opened flu l .natter, and considered it very L-arefully. If Sir Joseph Ward goes on encouraging the idea that it may not be necessary to call up the Second l>i vision the timid Suggest tons now m:,du by members may lucerne a ehidt'ktji*. J1 lusty be fakt'ii for granted th:it Sir .lame.s Allen will bi> deiiiiUvly and .inuresbly opposed to quitting, Mid •that -Mr Hassey will be of the same opinion. The best that the party which says ia effect that wc had better withJraw from the war can hope for is a in the Government, Even if Sl* Hougft :should order, the reduction ."W 'lke cessation of Reinforcements, Mr

iejf and Sir James Allen would be / bhlikely lo stay in office to cany mfc the order, and the withdrawal oJ' two Ministers, if no others came Qflf ivith them, as almost certainly ' wstold Biean the dissolution of the Ministry, As a probability, or even a possibility, 'lk ©"dissolution of tho Government on 4n»ao need not bo considered. Tito ;botftl« maybe settled in another way. of the members will be satisfied - to let the S«cond Division go if they _<tre b«tt«r provided for financially, Thin s- <«0 ba done in two _ways —by increase , v «£ tba separation allowances, or by an exseiwioH of the. financial assistance •dtette already in existence. The latter method should be the more elastic, and would snake it possible for the men atsa&lag. awiatauee moat to get it, but >. • .it would have the serious defect that uo „ mas -would know until he had joined ap what provision was to bo made for hU dependants.