CONSCRIPTION FAVOURED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16123, 11 January 1916, Page 9

CONSCRIPTION FAVOURED.

CHURCH PEOPLE'S VIEWS. GRADUATED WAR, TAX URGED. [BY TELEGRAm.— own- CORRESPONDENT.] CrißisTOHt-RCE, Monday. A well-attended meeting- of parishioners of Avonside was held in the schoolroom of Holy Trinity Church last evening to discuss the questions of ponsenption and taxation. The Rev. 0. Fitzgerald, who presided, said it certainly was time some energetic, and definite action was taken by the Government. He thought the socialists were decidedly inconsistent in opposing conscription of men while asking for the conscription, of j wealth. Democracy was losing a great chance iu not supporting conscription, for nothing could be more democratic than, where every man, no matter what his social position, was made do his duty to his country. As things were now, it; was plain that the burden was wry unequally distributed on the people of the Domuuon. i There were the generous people who were; giving ami giving all the time, yrhWd those of another temperament were avoiding their just share of the but den. , Mr. Warner moved : " That this meeting j considers that the time is now rip© fori conscription of men and for the levying of a special graduated tax for war pur- j poses." ! _ Mr. H. J. Ottley, a member of the' Christclmrch City Council, said he wag a . conscriptionist out and out. If a man were not prepared to fight for his count he should ,je compelled to leave it. He was sure that every father and mother who had a son at the front was a conscript! onist, and it was bitter indeed to think that the brave lads at the from, were being aeked to fight for individuals that could not be culled men, who preferred to stay at home in comfort. There ' was another man who was contemptible— the man who during the war had married a wife to shelter behind her petticoats. (Hear, hear.) He thought even - man who had married: since the outbreak of the war should be tieated as a single man. Several other speakers expressed themselves strongly in favour of conscription, and 'he motion was carried by a large majority.