BOY CONSCRIPTS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9738, 14 August 1917, Page 3

BOY CONSCRIPTS

To tho Editor “N.Z. Times." Sir, —For some days the newspapers of tnis -Dominion havo published mtoimation to the effect that the ago for laKing youths by conscription is co be reduced from 20 to 19 and perhaps lower. I need hardly remind you, sir. of the many communications from prominent Now Zealand officers at tho fronlt in the eatly days of this war lending someruing into this: "Don't send out mere boys here, they up, send out grown and set men.” Now. sir. since tho Minister for Defence has allowed this scheme to he published from one end of New Zealand ip tho ocher will ho tctl the country “in confidence” if necessary whether he has received information which justifies the employment of boys and that he is eatisfied, they will ndt ciucs. up as was suggested earlier in the .war or docs he feel ithat by dragging this “red herring' across tho “hot scent” of tho Second Division ho will bo able to compromise their position 'both inside and outside the House? At the recent conference of Second Division delegates held in Wellington a unanimous vote was passed and Jiandcd Igi the Premier when ho was met by the deputation stating their readiness to do their duty to their country. ip, the .face of this we have the marricd.men of the Dominion insulted by a suggestion that callow youths are to .be taken, away to lighlt in place of them, because the country cannot stand the drain on. its resources if the Second Division are called up and their reasonable demands for separation alloaucos, and pensions metYe gods! what do some of those in high .places take tho public of this country for if they think they dan gull them with political .bunkum of this sort? The boy brigades will suffice for about three reinforcements. What’s going to happen then? Won’t the matned Brigade (of whom our Defence Minister on the surface seems so concerned) have to face the music? No, sir. what the politicians both, high and low in this country would be wise in doing is to face the position square and fair. Pay the dependents of the married men on the moderate and fair basis as already suggested to them, pay the pensions on tho scale principle, as laid down by the scheme emanating from Great Britain, and tar the wealth of t> i= 'Dominion to par for it. If the politician* at pres nt in effi’’ feel ii is too much for them, lot them get out of office and allow men under military ago to run this country, the fit ones to go away to a man and fight and the C2 men to do their little bit of home service and find 80 men from their number to run this country and *o a little further toward .winning this war than onr present politicians seem capable of. We are at present fighting a life and death struggle to protect tlu> Prion ■Tack. What does this bit of bunting d red for? Fir,-. I liberty; -reondlv. the wealth of the notion. Yet here in this Dominion we hare our

politicians dodging main war Hsu.-? and listening to the wails o/ ’ m j" .imi rir' grants of "Dung,” wasting precious time on trifles instead of commandeering the “Trade” lock, stock and “barn I. If the State took over this little bone of contention our extremists on both sides would then at least have the satisfaction of knowing that, this country ivafl provided with both a State coal mine and a State “gold” mine. If butter, meat, and woo! interests wore also made to cough up more of their plunder we would not need to _lri insulted by the plaintive cry of a Minister to send boys to fight, for fhe,r country, as our country can’t afford to par men. After three years of trial no Kerensky hbs risen from amongst the country’s chosen eighty. Why not. if incapable, like good men and true say we’ve tried, failed or funked it, and make way for a leader and a House more in keeping with the smiirit of the people in this time of stress?—T am. etc., EMPIRE OR NOTHING.