The Sun THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1915. FARMERS AND CONSCRIPTION.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume II, Issue 584, 23 December 1915, Page 6

The Sun THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1915. FARMERS AND CONSCRIPTION.

In view of the position in England, and Mr Massey's express statement of the Government's intention to exhaust the possibilities of the voluntary system, it is perhaps a little premature for anyone to demand conscription or to anticipate the difficulties attendant on bringing it into operation. But there is evidently such a woeful misconception abroad as to what conscription really involves in New Zealand that the Farmers' Union was quite justified yesterday in discussing the subject. With the anti-militarist and the people who oppose conscription because of misguided ideas regarding the alleged "rights" of the individual we have no sympathy whatever, but too many people are talking consciption as if nothing more were concerned than personal inconvenience to the men "conscripted." That, however, is the least important phase of the matter: the time has gone by when personal inconveniences and inclinations can be considered. The vital question is the effect of conscription on the industrial and economic welfare of the community, and whether it can be brought into vogue without inflicting injuries and injustices that will far outweigh the advantage of being able to send a few thousand extra men to the war. This is the point that was made by Mr David Jones in his remarks at the Farmers' Union meeting yesterday. People are apt to forget that it is not an academic question of whether conscription should be made an integral part of our defence system: it is a question of the right expedient in a particular emergency. In France, or in any other country where conscription is an established institution, the people know what is ahead of them, and arrange their affairs accordingly. The young man knows he must serve his term in the army, and does not commit himself to business enterprises that are incompatible with it. But here the position is very different. There are thousands of young men who, never dreaming that conscription would be suddenly imposed upon them, have invested their savings in ! farms and other businesses, and are working them almost single-handed. To them conscription will, in many cases, spell financial ruin, and unless the system is made so clastic that it will almost cease to resemble conscription, the injury that may be done is almost past counting. Possibly a limited form of conscription could be imposed and carried out that would raise more men than voluntary enlistment, but unless some authority is created with power to exempt conscripts from I service where undue hardship may be caused, conscription may yet prove unenforceable. No doubt this aspect of the case has already been considered by Mr Mas-' sey, and explains his desire to ex-! haust the possibilities .of the volun-! lary system before invoking compulsion; but it should also be seriously considered by the public, which must be behind the Government if any action it takes is to prove useful or effective. Every effort should therefore be made to stimulate voluntary recruiting, and to co-operate with, the board that is being set up to emulate Lord Derby's recruiting organisation in England. It would

not only be a great tribute to the patriotism and loyalty of the Dominion if it produced all the reinforcements required without compulsion, but it would obviate the troubles and difficulties that are bound to arise as soon as it is found necessary to discriminate amongst those to whom compulsion is to be applied.