COMPULSION ISSUE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 1407, 1 June 1916, Page 5

COMPULSION ISSUE.

PRINCIPLES OISCCSSED IX TAR

LI AM E NT,

MORAL V. LEGISLATIVE COX-

,S(HIPTION

POWERFUL SPEEt. IT BY *MR ISITT

LABOR AMENDMENT MOVED.

(From Our Parliamentary Reporter.)

» WELLIINr.IiU'N, this day. Parliament heard both sides of the conscription issue: when tue second reading oi the Military Service Biil was continued ' yesterday.

Mr C'nugie gave tha Bill hearty support. Lt should hava come ink) force earlier, because , under the present system Ooys without full rights of citizenship ha J gono to fight for men over 21. it was wrong ,to allow men with i amities to go to the war s when single men. remained. The wholp system of sacrifice required ' to be rirorganised by compulsion. He believed the Minister Would accept suggestions fpr the improvement of the Bill. The exemption tribunal required to be composed of strong men. 'I 'lie medical examination needed to be absolutely similar to the ' I "re n tha in * standard ; otherwise the public would suggest favoritism and nniuie intiueucs. J lit* only way wo could get tu Berlin \vas by battalions. ,' ' ■'*■■;■ *'«■'•'

Mr Pearce supported, the Bill. He asked what waS'-':,tho proposed." composition of the Appeal Board'. Productive ii*.dustri?s\ shouid'iiot be crippled by sending too many of their workers to tho war.

WARNING AND CRITICISM.

Mr McC'allum, while supporting the' Bill, found fault with many clauses iii it. Why, he asked, .did the -Government introduce tho Compulsion Bill before the Finance Minister had presented the scheme whereby the huge iinanciuT responsibilities involved were tb be 'met?.- .The. .member, sounded a warning against placing too much power in military autocracy, urging safeguards to enable- parliament to retain its rightful control. He also spoke stromjiy against conscripting the youth of the country who had no jay in the Government, who had ho power 'to! make a contract, and who was an infant in the eye of the law. (Hear, 'hear.) ..." ; Surely, said Mr McCallum, it would liave be3n an agreeable compliment to- the youths tu say, **w*e will not conscript you until you are 21." ;No "infant" should be compelled to go. / The member urgM alteration of tho minimum age' td " 7,l, and the raising of the- maSimum age to "55, declaring that many rtieri- of mature .Vears with group-up families we're better able 'a-ud-i more, capable to serve than youths. Another matter which he treated scornfully was a proposal to legard all men married on after August 4, 1914, as single. Why, ha' said, surely the Minister is courting ridicule from the comio papers by such a proposal, r LEGISLATIVE CONSCRIPTION ' - „ PREFERRED.

> Mr Isitt followed with a pointed and characteristic speech in favor of the | Bill,- to the 'main principles of which he [declared he .'stood four- sqiui-i-e. '"Tliose wlfo talk against cohscnptioii should reflect on our present/position," he said. '•'Wo have got conscription already, arid conscription of a most unfair, most unequal, most cruel, blind, and idiotic nature. Theue was nevefr any conscription by Act which hurt so much as this voluntary conscription does." (Hear, hear.) Two years' experience- of this waa* Had absolutely revolutionised liia ideas. *'ll'," sa;d Mi* Isitt', "1 have to choose between a. system" tliat takes three sons of a. widow, leaving, five sons of her neighbor untouched; that levies on tho patriotic poor man with"* a; wife, and four clijJdren sends him to war, leaving untouched ■a . selfish man . with ' 6000 acres, abundant income, single, 25 years df age, who spends his time a motor car and the golf-links — then 1 choose legislative conscription every time— if 1 have to choose between the moral cpiscriptioii tliat levies on the workman .who; does the hard duty of 'this worlds at- -a low wage, often exploited, but who loves his country and forgets his disabilities .jis soon as it is in peril,- while the . shirker -and" blather •• skito remain behind to govern the conntry. (Hear, hear.) o,ue member had asked whether -sif-^imhj -who '"enlisted uhder the rhadow of the Bill was a free agent. ' He wished to know if a man 'who' volunteered.' under moral compulsion was a free'aaent ?

MORAL FO'RCE&* IN OPERATION. ■ The ; only free agents -under '.'■ moral' cc-nscription were >t-hick-skihned men With no conscience. Tliat system cornpaled conscientious men. to* enlist as .sttiely as any iron law. "It is a sin that sifts out the brainiest men in the .community and leaves, the crank, shirker, and blatherskite to perpetuate the race. I have been told gracefully that as a result of this stand I am ' going out on my ear. Well A that is h small thing. • Holding, the 'opinion 'that .mora! conscription is working most , cruelly, *rt-hile I dislike .conscription, I infinitely far prefer the danger, of legislative conscription tlian to continue -bii the lines *>re have been going." While on the South Island recruiting tour lie .was absolutely embarrassed by the '• persistence of the, demand -for ••conscription.* Audiehce«'! with this opinion contained hardly half-a-dozen wealthy me*n. '....,■' i M.r McCombs : A good many .-'old ' \Vomeiii ' - - •

>" Mr . Isitt, : ■continuing, said he fomid during that tour that recruiting under the 'voluntary system was an impossible task; It had practically broken down, and never • revived- until the shadow of this -Act came upi It was absolutely needed to keep up the' supplies of men. The member 1 for Grey ; • . had- ai*gued against the- Bill '-because -New Zealaiid was a • food-prodUcing country. Tliat Was really i.n favor oif. the Bill, because enthusiasm Was now; the 'only system. Tlie farm laborer aaid shopman were going on ; regardless .of • their " dutyr • • In New ; Zealand the* Bill would onaible us . td control the enlistment 6i\ dairy experts,' farmers; ." arid others'' Were opponents fighting -for the theo'ry or to secure that the the fewest number of married Women and the ehjldren suffered hardship through: -'■■•> the ' waif: Moral suasion caused' a largej lUunber .' -of married men to enlist, 'while tlie Bill called 'pii single first. ' • STATED THE DUTY TO THE'INi -■•'■' ■ THVID'UAL:* -..:■■..

. i-Mr Hindmarsh said there might be a time when' conscription was absolutely riVcessary. "The duty of the individual to 'the State is '"to serve the- State 'all hr all, but the State -has a duty to the individual. We, have* been waiting for that obligation to 'he defined by. the Premier, but it has not been done!" Would ha do so? Abraham, Lincoln did in ''"providing land for -returned' soldiers, tie (Mr Hindmarsh)"'" asked that our bva.ve men be allowed a share 'of the rich lands'* of the country tll^ had saved. The Government had brought in a; miserable abortion of a Bill on this subject. Not many in the House could say as ho could that evei*y male over \ihom he had influence • had 'given - service to the' country.' One had died, so Ifis patriotism could not ■■ be called into question. Too niany r hardships would come to light if the Bill became law. The •- Government should suspend payment of the rent and interest of cottages where conscripted men lived; This had not been done '.by: '■: craven men; ■■'shirkers among our rulers, who would not tell the country* what thfcy intended to do. Tlie Premier must' bring in a Bill conscripting all land not used for'ttho- own ers* support. These large landowners were greater aud more dancerous shirkers than all the poor blatherskites who -found out that injustices existed. It was 'a case of crime tc> conscript Maoris. Diminishing tbe ■race wns v most cowardly and treacherous tiling -to do.' The tiino m'ight come when every man would be obliged to fi\rht for his 'country; but there was any amount of time to define the ■'State's duly to "the individual.

■•Mr Hudson declared that he was not a' rail-sitter.: He supported- the Bill from ei*d -to <mrl. He would take the liberty of making a few suggestions ' when the measura was in committee. The only .criticism in ' his electorate was that it ■was -nAt: brought- in." sooner. , ■ Mr Ell said that his plain duty" in a national emergency w.w to] support conscription regardless of his views in* .1' •- : ' ■•-..•■

pea-cu time. Ninety per c?nt. of tho workers of/ New Zealand supported the Bill. He emphatically declared that the Government was not meeting propel ly the demands ,J mnde by men on behalf of their dependents. The country had never bought so many motor cars as at present, duo to the wonderl'd farming profit. 1 ;. We were licit doing our duty to the meii Who went.' '

•AN AMENDMENT MOVED. ♦> M^r McComl^ in defining his opposition to the Bill; declared that one of the chief reasons upon which the opponents oif the Bill had based their objections was that statutory compulsion, though ostensibly limited by the duration oi' the war, was "leading to Im- ' perial compulsory military service. He complained, also that the national service spoken- of bj* the Minister as being sought as backing to voluntary service, did not mean national service ,i'u the truest sense, which included the service ut men, money, munitions, and provisions, out only compulsion of llesh and blood. The ''member further con--tended that the Bil\, which' was iii reality an uinendmant. of the; Defence Act,: violated-^tho undertaking" given % the' Minister that none of : our. territtnial lor-es should be compelled to sel-vt? beyond Now Zealand. .Tile Minis;ter foi* 'Dofenc^' hstd'nOt even as much 'ju'stificatifiii" for tearing up onr scrap of paper as' 'the -'"Kaiser- had' f when' ho vio---lateil" hi*.y- treaty With' .Belgium; '(Hear, hear, and* laughter);' He contended that ihe Anzacs would scornfully -reject the idea' of 'fighting beside conscripts; Mr MciComb concluded by * moving an amendment that the second reading of the-' Bill lie tal^en this day .three months. '•'..'■.- Mr Walker (Labor member for. Dunedin X6i>th) seconded' the amendment.FO:R HONOR AND GLORY OF EMPIRE. , Mr Vigor . Brown supported the Bill, but expressed ' a suspicion cpricerning the constitution of .a , proposed Military lioai'd. He also, spoke •strongly" of the way returned men and their dependents had been treated, which he contended bad. been- -jargply responsible for the .Jailing off in 'volunteers. '■>'■ Men' did not •'o to 'fight -in.; trenches -for. wages.'' Who •.Vould think of going, to ' : trenches for. wages? (Heir, hear.) ; The . alien- went bo tight in.'* trenches', not foi* wages/ but for tlnv-lioiioi*. -and' glory; of the' Britiis'h Kmp»r?! - -(Applause.) "'But they ' h,a d looked: to the tiovermnent t,d pt*bvide for their dependents if . they, were';kllf.kl, aifd. to trep.t those who' ; ret J urn"e'6^ cripple :l .a s 'sutih fighters '' shoiild > be' treated ; but the: National Government, had failed .them.-' -Had it tackled , l t'he question in a proper, spirit 'thei'e'^ould have baeii ho'jieea s for the '*Bill now before the House ' ' Mr Field '(Nelson), .termed tho Bill as .being a comprorniso*' 1 between conscription and voluntaryism, but 5 he wa,s certain that after the ;■ war this Dominion , wpuld not tolerate anything in; the shape of militavism.- He believed in the principles' •qf-d-he Billjibut ;would">like to -sae Some'iurrttificptions when it'. reach- 11 ?d the c r.-**nmittee stage.' ' "My ■ peoplo betievo they will not fight "aiiv/ths- belter for being conscripted," ' declared Mr Henire, the Northern Maori member. He added that his' people wertf^ all willing to serve. .Their"' so" e a ".in '.was', .to win .the ; wai" on; behalf of tlu* ' Empire'. His people were concerned about tho number vol. '-'Aus/ 1 trians' -remaining- in the North, .while the Maori people's sons went to the front. • :/ •;'■ ■l'■ [

AMENDMENT REJECTED

• Mr" McComb^iunendment was reject 7 ed, by -54 -'Votes' to 5,- the .supporters, being ' 'Messrs "McCombs/. Hindmarsh, Walker, Webb, and Payne, . while Messrs Th acker; and Fletcher both paired in frvor of the amendment. [ ' ; Th.v d*d'v*f"i* "hvn-- a.liom*ned oh the motUin of. Mr Rhodes (Thames), and ; the Hougy ros'e at 11. SO p.m. .'■■...■ AMENDHDaNTS FOR OO'MaiITTEE.-

Several notices of intention to move r..m end ment -s" to the ililitary ''^fervfee Bill when .iii committee have been given. „ • ■"-' "Mr proposes to move two rltera tions,, the first, being the^ definition of military age, .winch hewill move to -be, any. a'ge .not. less- than 1 21 'years and' less than 55 years." '"He also intends to . move tliat the Act shall remain- in force until 40 days after 'the first ".meeting of Parliament' following ihe conclusion of the present, wav, and [no longer.- , i •■'■■' I Mi" Ahd'Srs'on ihfends to move an rmehdment ; to ihe ' clause relating ,'tci the proposed : reserve, excliidi hg , from ihe first division men-', married since:. August 4, 1914, who have two children fey the prgsenf inari'iage.