COMPULSION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3244, 17 May 1916, Page 21

COMPULSION.

GOVERNMENT URGED TO ACT. MELBOURNE, May 11. Both Federal Houses lengthily de» bated conscription, without arriving at finality. In the House of Representatives Mr Joseph Cook (Leader of the Oppo= sition) attacked the Government for not adopting compulsion. He queried whether Australia had attained the maximum effort or output, when 120,000 single men refused to enlist. He believed that a referendum would result in an overwhelming vote in favour of compulsory service. The Minister of Finance (Mr Higgs) stated that the Government had information which it was unable to dis= close. This information had been given to members at a secret meeting on the previous evening. Mr Catts advocated a secret session to discuss the situation without re= striction. In the Senate Senator Millen deprecated comparisons between the efforts o) the various dominions. The most convincing argument demonstrating that more men were needed was that Britain had found it necessary to adopt compulsion. He believed we had exhausted the possibilities of the voluntary system, and was therefore of opinion that we must resort to compulsion. ENGLISHMEN ABROAD. MELBOURNE, May 11. In the Commonwealth Parliament Mr Pearce (Acting Prime Minister) stated that, though he had not been officially informed by the Imperial authorities to that effect, he anticipated that as soon as the Conscription Bill passed the British Parliament all Englishmen resident abroad would be automatically called up. Those resident here would probably be given the option of enlisting in the Australian forces or travelling to England, and enlisting there. PREMATURE PEACE. MELBOURNE, May 11. The War Profits Bill is modelled on the British Act.' In the House of Representatives Mr Cook asked for a referendum on conscription. Sir W. Irvine, in advocating conscription, said he did not think we should lose the war, but the danger of a premature peace was becoming greater every day. AUSTRALIAN TRADES HALL CONGRESS. OPPOSITION TO CONSCRIPTION. MELBOURNE, May 11, At the Trades Hall Congress, convened to discuss war service, and representing 300,000 trade unionists, a motion was sub mitted recording members' detestation of conscription, which was being introduced by vile means, by which Labour would be overawed by Capital, affirming that the voluntary system would supply sufficient men, and calling on the Government to increase privates' pay to 10s a day, and to appropriate for war purposes all rents, interests, profits, and other incomes in excess of the equivalent pay of a private Each delegate received a manifesto urging all unionists to prepare for a gene ral strike, to render the imposition of con scription impossible. "If a militaristic caste is essential," says the manifesto, " it i» only to bolster up Capitalism. Let the Labour movement pronounce, not against any particular nationality, but for tho unity of Labour as the hope of the world. Should conscription become law, the Government will challenge an organised revolt, and will have to take the lives of those who uphold the basic working-class principles at any cost."

Later The Labour Conference has concluded. The meeting recommended the Government to empower the Commodities Commission to determine wages and inquire into profits, with a view to regulating the prices in any industry. The congress carried a motion endorsing Senator Pearce"s opposition to conscription, and advocated an international understanding between the workers and render war impossible. It was resolved that no further war loans bearing interest ought to be raised, but that future war needs should be raised by compulsory pro rata contributions from the people whose incomes were £3OO per annum and over. CENSORSHIP ABSURDITIES. SYDNEY, May 11. The Daily Telegraph comments that the arrival of the Australians in France marks the occasion of one of the best jokes of the war. "The Censor allowed the fact to be cabled that the Germans opposite to our men's trenches welcomed them, which could hardly have been done if they did not know where they were. Yet the Censor conceals their whereabouts from the public—i.e., though he lets us know that the Germans know where our men are, he will not let ns know where they are, for fear of letting the Germans know that we know that they know. How on earth would it help the enemy if they were to make the important discovery that we know that they know where our men are? Only the censorship knows." NEW ZEALAND MOUNTED MEN. DUTY ELSEWHERE THAN IN EUROPE. WELLINGTON, May 11. The Minister of Defence stated to-night that the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade had not gone to the West front. It had been joined up with the Australian Light Horse to form an Australasian Mounted Rifle Division for service in a quarter other than Europe. Mr Allen added that the New Zealand infantry had been accompanied by one squadron of Otago Hussars. This unit had been attached to the division when the forces were reorganised, and remained with it when it was transferred to the new front. Referring to the hospital arrangements, the Minister said that the present proposal was that the sick and wounded likely to be available for further service, and the men affected by the Egyptian climate, would be sent to English hospitals; others would be sent to Egypt, returning to New Zealand as opportunity offered in transports.