CONSCRIPTION.

North Otago Times, Volume CVI, Issue 13983, 20 November 1917, Page 2

CONSCRIPTION.

THE AUSTRALIAN IIEFEJIENDUM.

• Per Cable—Press Association™ Copyright j SYDNEY, November 18. i The Sunday Tinica says (here are over 100,000 German votes in the Comi moiiwealth, and their exclusion may , decide the referendum. ! OUTLOOK IN AUSTRALIA. i "SEASONABLE HOPES,FOE THE BEST." A visitor to Auckland at present is the Hon. ,T. Adamson (ex-Minister of Railways in Queensland's existing "Labour Government), and .who resigned his seat in the Ryan Cabinet in order to island for the Federal Senate as an all-out conscriptionist. In the course of an interview which a Star representative had with the Australian legislator on Friday, he gave some interesting opinions on the present situation in Australia and on the prospects of the forthcoming referendum. , • Mr Adamson explained that he stood for conscription from the beginning, holding that nothing really mattered so long as wc defeated tho Germans, so. at air Hughes's request he resigned his seat in the Queensland Assembly iii order to run-for the Senate'at the Federal' elections early this year. Owing, however, to the political fiasco, he found himself fourth candidate in liis electorate, so he' decided to withdraw, and advised the electors to vote for the Nationalist .candidate. Even so, over 12,000 electors voted for him as a protest against the treatment he had received, and his supporters afterwards signalled their appreciation of his attitude and action by presenting him with a purse of,£looo, in addition to other' jvaliiablc testimonials of esteem. P.emarking upon several, confident predictions, he had,noticed in the New Zealand press that conscription'would this time be eafried, \Mr Adamson said: ',' Personally I regret that from the start the statesmen of Australia did not take up a line of action similar to that adopted by tho New Zealand Government—that is to say, assume the responsibility for placing the question of conscription straight before Parliament. In my opinion, while-I.think, Ik referendum will-probably be carried, I think also that all the elements which defeated conscription at the last referendum-are still active, lam jiinl i'lraid, therefore, that the sentimental ve'v given by tho women may go against conscription again." ; I

He uoiil on lo point out thai the last iefeicmlum vote was very largely a i '•elfish Aole, in wli'icli ngriculluiisfsjiiid fqmmeioial people fipirqd quite eon-1 - ilemblv, ov.-uiff to concern at the piojs- ' 'ipil of losing their hoi Iters, t| \\as, he declaied, quite friong to &aj that la Hour altogether defeated coiiM-rijiliun. : 'l'lu re aus a vprv Mi? moderate Laboir 1 vote in Jayom u,' rlm.sciiption, and jus' rtf :innr-])::-i . < iNy. 'lie wa'i o.! | opinion that eiuMiimtanres had fjo~alIcicd (he public mind thai Ihe leli'rcii | duin next month might be can led, but "lit the same timo he did not jiosscja

tlifil ii.'plk'il cunfiileiii'n in llin sihiiilion R'i In :i|.cak Mrilh ilic same degree of e'crtrinity ,11.10n( il :u did some otiicrs. lie just H»!i reasonable hopes for, the best.

Adamson said that ln> had intended remaining for the next six tvcd;s or two mouths in New Zealand, but owing to the new situation which had arisen lie had 1 decided lo return as early as possible, lo participate in the conscription campaign. He still believed that nothing would matter if we ccultl not beat the Germans.