COMPULSORY SERVICE

Southland Times, Issue 16787, 17 July 1911, Page 5

COMPULSORY SERVICE

QtfAKDR’g CONpCUPNCP, (Special to the “Times.”) AUCKLAND, July 15. The Quakers of the Dominion evidently have no desire to be faced by the predicament that presented itself to the Friend in the American Civil War who, though thus confronted by a flerce-looking Confederate at the end of a musket, is recorded to. have met the quandary and satisfied his conscience with the apology : f’Friend, I nm sorry ; but thee must die”—rand down went the Southerner. The consciences of the Auckland Society of Friends are not so elastic, for in a deputation to t)ie Hon. Geo. Fowlds, Minister for Education, this morning, the representatives of that religious body expressed their firm intention to have nothing to do .with the military paraphernalia of the Dominion, stating that, much as they loved the country, they would emigrate rather than submit to donning the King’s uniform. The deputation consisted of Messrs Thomas Wright, of Mangers, Fletcher and Jackson of Qnehunga, and R. L. Pudney of Ponsonby. Mr Wright introduced the subject by saying that he understood that General Godley had desired to meet representatives of the Society of Friends in Wellington on thes übject of provision under the new Defence Act for conscientious objections, but had been unable to arrange a satisfactory interview, and therefore the Friends in Auckland had taken an opportunity to see the Minister while he was in this city. The speaker explained that the members of the Society did not wish to be thought unpatriotic ; but their principles forbade them from taking part in any military work or in becoming part and parcel of anything connected with war. They were willing to work at anything of a civil nature in the way of an equivalent, and they understood that the Government desired suggestions. Mr Powids : Yes ; suggestions that will not interfere in any way with the system which the country has adopted. Mr Wright contended that the country was by no means unanimous. People were standing shoulder to shoulder on the point, and the Quakers felt that there were very many who took the same stand as they did on the matter. As for themselves, by birth (sq to speak) and training they were prohibited from taking part in military work pf any kind. "We do not want to go to prison. We have come here to be happy and we love the country ; but if any coercion is used against us we must emigrate.’ He went on to suggest that they might be allowed to join the St. John Ambulance Association. Quakers, he said, had rendered yeoman service before in ambulance work, as for instance in the Pranco-Prusian war ; but they did not want to lay themselves out for wholesale slaughter or to have any part in the military paraphernalia of the country. Mr Fowlds congratulated the members of the deputation on having complied with thp law by registering. They were right in doipg that. “I consider we could render a pretty good equivalent in civil service,” said Mr Pudney. “Well, gentlemen, I will say tfiqt you have my entire sympathy so far as your consciences are concerned,” replied the Minister, “and had it not been for the insertion of the qualifying clause I would not have been a party to the Act.” Mr Fowlds went on to say that he first saw his way out pf the difficulty thorugh studying the Swiss system, under which exemption from milltraining and service is allowed by the substitution of civil or non-combatant duties. “You can easily see,’ ’he said, “that unless there is an equivalent of some sort of service there might be a very large addition to the Society of Friends of people who just wanted to escape military duty. The essential feature is, therefore, that there must be an equivalent for military service in some form or other. If wp can secure some form equivalent in sacrifice of time and training outside thept, so far as I am concerned, I shall be only too glad to meet your position.” The Minister pointed outt hat he had seen Mr Rigg in Wellington on the subject and that it was at his request that General Godley and Mr Rigg had conferred on the matter. He went on to assure ihe members of the deputation that if he could manage to have their attitude met without breaking down the system lie would do so. The system introduced, he pointed out, was pascsd with the unanimous consent of the people. KICKING AGAINST THE PRICKS. (Per United Press Association.) WELINGTON, July 15. Cornish, the father of the boy recently fined £4 and costs for failing to register under the Defence Act, informs the press that the hoy has been arrested and will have to serve twentyone days in gaol. Cornish said that his son was only one out of 13,000 who had not registered. A league lias been formed in Brooklyn, and all youths are prepared to go to gaol rather than comply with the law. Cornish says that his son’s workmates collected the amount of the.fine, hut the lad refused to allow it to lie paid, and has gone to gaol on principle. It may be mentioned once again that going to gaol does not relieve offenders from the necessity for registering, and Hi at they can be fined ad lib. till they do register.