"A SURPRISING VOTE."

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16374, 31 October 1916, Page 8

"A SURPRISING VOTE."

POLLING DISCUSSED.

MAKURA PASSENGERS' VIEWS.

The opinions of several passengers from Sydney by the Makura were obtained yesterday in reference to the conscription issue in Australia, and in every instance the greatest surprise and disappointment were expressed with regard to the progress results of the voting. "The news certainly came to me as a great shock," remarked the Hon. George Fowlds, who returned from the Y.M.C.A. Convenlion. "Feeling was running very high in Sydney the day we left, and the attitude of the more noisy section of voters foretold an overwhelming vote against conscription, but against this we were prepared to put the influence of the silent voter. So far, however, this section has not carried so much weight as was confidently expected." Questioned as to the av.lude of Australians a* regards taking a referendum on the conscription issue, Mr. Fowlds said that it was generally conceded that no other step could have been safely taken. Wilful Misrepresentation. With regard to the influence* at the back of the anti-conscription vote, Mr. Fowlds gave eome interesting details with regard to an organised campaign of misrepresentation, which, in his opinion, undoubtedly has strongly influenced the vote of a certain section of the workers. " Uno of the most potent arguments was that the Government was importing Maltese labour to replace the Australian workers at tlio front," he said. "It was even publicly alleged that so many coloured labourers had been brought to Sydney that they were put on such work as clewing the streets at night so that the people might not see them! Wild talk of this kind made a great impression on the class of; people who attended the street meetings, ! and although it was officially contradicted in the press and at other meetings the , rumour gained considerable ground- As! a matter of fact," continued Mr. Fowlds, " figures were published that showed an actual decrease in the coloured labour imported into Australia over a corresponding period in other years, but it is hard to convince a certain class of people in matters of this kind." Mr. Fowlds was of the opinion that the I.W.W. influence was largely respon-1 sible for the stand taken against conscription among the workers. " I don't mean ! that these people actually associated them-1 selves with the I.W.W. principles," he | explained, " but undoubtedly their teach-; ings swayed a large number of people who I had listened to their arguments." j Mr. Fowlds went on to speak of the I tremendous interest taken in the street \ meetings held in Sydney for and aeainst' conscription. " There were hundreds of meetings, in halls, in the street, and in the works, in all the centres and suburbs. Women's meetings, too, were held, with women speakers representing both sides. A feature of these meetings was the absence of any rioting, every step having been taken to preserve law and order." The Women's Part. Some interesting comments on the attitude of Australian women toward the burning question were made both by Mr. i Fowlds and'-Major Norton, an ex-Imperial i officer, lately 'of the South Australian j artillery. "Without doubt, there is a cer-' tain section of the women who are strongly against conscription, and these women are not merely of the working class, the wiyes of the labour men, but women and girls of the better class," sa.id Major Norton. , "For example, just before I left Sydney, I went into one of the large book-stores, and remarked to tho young lady who served me: ' Well, I suppose you're for conscription, aren't you?' 'No, indeed; I'm not!' she replied. ' Why should I send my boy away to be hilled?' I tried to tell her one or two reasons,' but she got very angry, and wouldn't listen. Her attitude was by no means uncommon; the anti-conscripticnist's dogma, ' you have no right to swear away men's lives,' was very strong among the women, and I fancy their attitude will be' largely reflected in the result of the votf '* If the "Noes" Win. Answering the question as to .. possible result of tho anti-conscriptionists winning tho day, Major Norton expressed the opinion that steps would be taken to mobilise the medically-fit men of the first division, some 80,000 in number, already | liable for homo defence, into training j camps. After a course of training a largo number would doubtless enlist voluntarily,! either being shamed into it or because they found military life not so bad as thoy had been led to expect. "Of course," remarked Major Norton, "it is the moral j effect that would be so bad, should the! anti-conscriptlonists win, for it will be taken by Germany as showing that the Dominions are tiring of the struggle." Support From Labour Leaders. The strong support given to conscription by Labour leaders was emphasised by Mr. I Thos. Hughes, another of the Makura'b I passengers, in discussing the referendum j result. " Personally, I think conscription I is dead," he remarked, "although the; final returns are not yet to hand. Even I if it passes by a small majority, however, i the result will not be satisfactory. One of the moßt striking features of the conscription question was the strong support of the Labour leaders," said Mr. Hughes. The Premiers of New South Wales and South Australia, and many others, had been particularly strong in 'their advocacv of conscription, and the anti-conscription-ists of the Labour Ps.-ty were practically without leaders. Another interesting point was that even that section of the press that had been anti-Liberal had put up a remarkable fight for conscription. " I believe that if conscription is defeated," said Mr. Hughes, "the result, although disastrous now, will ultimately mean the formation of a strong National Government, in which the extremists of both parties will be eliminated. In the meantime, the Prime Minister, Mr. W. Hughis an astute politician, and even if inscription is finally defeated ho will find some way of iiatisfactorily meeting the position." DOMINION LABOUR OPINION,

EFFECT ON POLITICAL PARTY. [BY TELEGRAPH.— OWN CORUKSroVDEKT.] WELLINGTON. Monday. It is perhaps not possible to gauge with any certainty yet the general feeling here about the conscription referendum in Aus- . tralia, but certainly to the majority ■{ people chosen at random in the course of general inquiries made on the subject the result has occasioned a shock of pined surprise, and many express keen disappointment. .Labour men are divided m their opinions. Those who have alwaya been avowed anti-conscriptionists are pleased, but there are very many Labour men who are not anti-conscriptionists, and they are concerned about the result lot only as affecting the Empire but as affectins the Labour cause. They fear that „he adverse vote may be a serious blow to Labour in politics in Australia and New Zealand, and even to democracy. The Defence Minister, the "Hon J Allen, was unwilling to make more than a few remarks on the subject, in view of the fact that the returns were still incomplete, but it # was clear that he regarded the conscription cause in Australia as lost. "The people of Australia," he said! "have decided against conscription. It seems to me now that there are only two thincs that they can do. Either' they must find the men somehow under the voluntary principle, however they can, or else they must let their units at 'the front decrease in strength. If they do not Gnd the men Australia will sacrifice a great deal of what her forces have gained for her. One cannot imagine that the country will refuse to support the men who have gone—men who have made such sacrifices, who have done so well in the war, and who have won web a great name lot Australia.^ .