COMPULSORY SERVICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16214, 27 April 1916, Page 6

COMPULSORY SERVICE .

FORECAST OF THE BILL. tfj COMMANDO SYSTEM LIKELY, QUESTION OF WAR PENSIONS. [by telegbape.—own correspondent.] Wellington, Wednesday. The Compulsory Service Bill, it may ba presumed, has now taken at least tentative shape. It has not yet been finally considered by Cabinet, so that not even Ministers know exactly in what form it will finally be presented to the House. It is possible, however, from hints given from time to time, and from the progress of events connected with recruiting, to form a fair iaea of what the main feature* of the compulsion scheme will be. According to Responsibilities. The first essential of it will be the assessment of district quotas, in the sam« way as they are now assessed for the purposes of voluntary enlistment. The adoption of this will involve no disturbing in the present methods of working. It has been emphasised so very many times by Ministers that they have deep-rooted detestation for compulsion that it may safely be assumed that they will adopt some scheme of conscription which will involve as little compulsion as possible. It the quota system is part of the new scheme there need be no compulsion in a district which supplies its quota by voluntary enlistment. If in a district sufficient volunteers are not offering to supply '.he quota, compulsion will have to be exert ised. This will be done by ballot among the eligible men, who will be classified according to their obligations. Single men without dependents will come first, and married men with large families last. The classification of the intervening grades may be done by rough and ready methods, as in the national register, or it may be done with great thoroughness and care, in which case the task may prove to be one of no litlio difficulty. The Bill will provide for general compulsion. It will make fvery fit man of military age liable to serve in the army. £1,000,000 in Pensions, The opinion has been generally held that the Government will commandeer only unembarrassed single men, and that an improved schedule of separation allowances and pensions will be introduced to make it easier for men with dependant? to go. This is not the intention of the Government. It may be that the scale of allowances and pensions will be made more generous, but this is extremely doubtful. There is to be an amendment of the War Pensions Act, but probably the amendments will not affect the scale on which payments are to be made, but will deal rather with the controversial question of pensions by right. Indeed, certain remarks of the Prime Minister in a speech made by him to-day gave the impresLion that he considered the rate of pensions and allowances satisfactory. Ha did not, however, say this specifically. It is also a fact that the authorities now aw agreed that an annual pension!'charge of .one million sterling is in sight, and wh'en the Bill was before the House last session this was regarded as the utmost limit to which the country could with safety commit itself. For many months it appeared that the million limit would never be reached, but of late the increase, in payments has been rapid. If may bo that pressure from the House will compel the Government to increase the rates of pension, but at present the chances of the Government proposing to make a general considerable increase in the rates are remote.