CATHOLICS AND CONSCRIPTION

North Otago Times, Volume CV, Issue 13937, 21 July 1917, Page 8

CATHOLICS AND CONSCRIPTION

MARIST BROTHERS AND, MILITARY SERVICE, REFEEENCES IN PARLIAMENT. . MINISTERIAL'STATEMENT. WELLINGTON, July 18. Tn the House this afternoon, Mr worthy.again referred to the cxcmptio-i of Marist Brothers from military service. He said he would sooner go out of Parliament than not say anything in'this day of the country's need, lie hoped the Government would do the right thing, and if it did. not it was not ilie Government for him. The great majority of the people demanded that the right thing be done, lie , meant what he said, and it wduld take a lot to drive him from a course which he believed a right and a just one, Sir James Allen said that exemption was given by the Military Service Boards, which had not in any way been influenced" by the Government or any'body else. The only thing done was for the Minister of Munitions^ to issue a certificate in some cases that Jlie calling up of the person named would be contrary to the public interest, but he had not done*this in the case of Marist. Brothers, These men were in a peculiar position, in'lh'at they were brought to New Zealand from other parts, teaching without pay. The Government had some time 'ago adopted the principle that it did ..not want any public or private schools r to be deprived of their teaching staffs, and the Military Service Boards had followed that principle. All these cases would come up again in the ■'combing-out' process. There was a possibility of the House having to deal with the question this year. . A Member: How many- Marist Brothers are there altogether? Ssir James Allen:* Not many—about forty or fifty.