LETTERS 13 THE EDITOR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15823, 23 July 1913, Page 6

LETTERS 13 THE EDITOR.

RECUSANTS UNDER THE DEFENCE

• ACT. Sib,—lt is interesting to note in your leading article on the Defence Forces that no fewer than ?U,OOU yout-lis and men comply with the law. As a large number of those within the prescribed ages must, for various reasons, tw. unlit, this is tlio most satisfactory evidence in favour of the Defence Act from the persons mo6t concerned. As to my suggestions for dealing with recusants, and eliminating conscientious objeetore by automatic tests, you give two criicisms I would like to reler to. You say that the objector who resists from other than conscientious reasons would be as likelv to resist tree-planting -as military drill." Granted: but by merely striking him off the electoral 1011, and refusing him Government employment, you give a substantial punishment, which, unlike fine or military detention, renders it difficult for him to pose as a, martyr, and to* manufacture grievance® during detention. ' He is penalised by a self-imposed disqualification, and there is an end of him —a disqualification lie can remove at any time by undergoing the ncccseary drill or alternative tabour. He is thus the keeper of his own conscience, and, if he has none, he is the imposer of his own disqualification. You 6ay also that it might be difficult to make the disqualification ot disfranchisement (oiorceable in such a way as to prevent ihoGC to whom it applied from securing enrolment at election time. But this ou#ht to be made sufficiently effective with , ordinary care with suoh provisions as readily 6Uggest themselves. The names of these disqualified should be gazetted and forwarded to every electoral officer in the dominion. And just as a man has to declare that ho is a British 'subject- and has resided the ■proscribed time in the dominion, so a provision can be inserted requiring a declaration that he has complied, with the provisions of the Defence Act. Besides tneso deterrents, there would be the fear of exposure (in case. of misrepresentation) and punishment, just as there is in the case of misrepresentation as. to age. You further fay that this disqualification would not be in every instance immediately effective. But is this a real objection? Isany law "immediately effective in every case?" I venture to say. not one. The question is, would the disqualification or penalty bo sufficiently effective for the purpose in view? And I submit, that it would. It might well be tried; and if it proves ineffective, and the danger is great, the country will demand and sanction more coercive a.nd drastic penalties. There does not seem to be any call now or in future for placing the country under drastic military regime. The life-ideals o( our people are found in the arts of peace, not in those of war. There seems a tendency on the part of some of our public men to be perpetually resounding the military andnaval note. A country that, has handed over the education and discipline of the bulk of its youth to underpaid women, had better give more attention to the education in the schools and to a substantial increase in the number of men employed' in education and to their status and emoluments. The quality and. status of the male school teacher are even greater tact-ore,' in their proper place, than those* of military offioere. The future defenders of the Empire are being made in the schools, not in the drill-shed. All that the country has done for the tfgoher in ita military zeal is to heap more exacting military duties on him—oll the assistant teaohers in the primary and especially in the secondary schools—without a shilling- of increased pay. The Minister of Defence, who i 6 also Minister of Education, might well inquire how many boys in this dominion have received their entire education at the hands of underpaid women," and tell iis also whether officers' pay, like that of a teacher, is depending on the " average' attendance " , of his .company? But I am introducing i new matter, and had better stop. In my last letter, in'the third line, some - words were omitted in printing. These ' were " Act" after " Defence," and "Mr ■ Allen is" before "anxious." I am made | to say, also, that the " moral lesson " wants ! enlightenment, in place of the "moral [ reason" or conscience.—l am, etc., P. B. Eraser. [We regret that a line of type was accidentally omitted from Mr' Eraser's previous letter.—Ed. 0. D. T.]

THE IVAHUIKA MEETING.

Slit, —I have just perused a letter signed by " Papatowai, ' which attempts to explain tno results of the Kahuika meeting;. It is evident from las remarks that ho was not present, for his statements are pure fiction, tie misquotes the chairman, and wishes to make liim say that everyone of two years residence or over, children included, wero entitled to vote' as to - the position of the terminal buildings. The chairman s remarka were thcfie: "Tliosc who spoke should be bona fide residents of two years residenco and upwards. It was only right that the decision of the valley should be that of persons whose future was bound up with, the welfare of the district—not only the parents-but the young men and women whose industry had helped to •'maintain tho farms and the homes. ' You will, therefore see that Papatowai's contention that a youth in knickers (who came under the chairman's ruling) was an improper person to vote falls out with truth. I did not say at the Kahuika meeting that 'lahakopa League was represented by' eight persons and four proxies. I did say deafly, and only once, that the league meeting comprised 14, and the resolution passed by it did not contain the term " mass meeting ' at all. Most of the peoplo in this forest area are in favour of the main station being at Tahakopa, for the petition sent away by u 3 equals or surpasses what Papatowai sent away. Does your correspondent know tiliat Chaslands signed a petition for tho extension of the line from Tokonm to Quarry Hills as an important need for its wel. fare about a month prior to signing one for Papatowai ? Pretty work this, isn't it? What about tho 70 names now? " Papatowai's " hunger for railway tattle makes him gulp clown any tale he is told about tho case, and tho idea of an official going alona with a map and pencil to try and alter the thoroughly surveyed route of railway is amusing. I know that the official wa« simply marking out the areas each eettlet had under cultivation and grass and Bush, to see if what wo had said about the pole®, tialitiea of the valley were substantiated by the facts.—l am, etc. C. G. Mabtin, Chairman, Local Railway League. Tahakopa.