CONSCRIPTION FAVOURED

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 60, Issue 4235, 24 January 1940, Page 7

CONSCRIPTION FAVOURED

PRESENT SYSTEM CONDEMNED. “CUTTING STRING AT BOTH ENDS.” The clerk, Hamilton Borough Council, forwarded lor the information ot the Council a copy of minutes of an emergency meeting of the Auckland Provincial Patriotic Council held at the Town Hall, Auckland, on Monday, Bth January. Cr Macky explained the purposes of the meeting and the decisions reached (already published). A further meet, ing had been held of the Zone Com. mittee at Hamilton, at which it was decided (rather half-heartedly) to promote a recruiting campaign. Representatives at that meeting had favoured conscription, but in face ot the Government’s attitude it was felt that the Zone Committee must institute a recruiting campaign, each local, body representative being asked to take action in his own area. Details ot suggestions (already published) for stimulating enlistment were read. Mr F. L. Onion remarked that if all that has to be done to obtain a sufficiency of men for active service overseas he could not see there was 1 much difference between that and conscription. Cr D. B. Livingstone: How can we give support to a recruiting campaign under present conditions when we know that it is wrong? Conscription is the! only fair way. At present the Government is taking men that would be more use here maintaining production of foodstuffs. The Government's attitude is absurd. They are asking us to stump the country to obtain recruits. Cr T. Church commented that the Government was paying thousands of able bodied men 18s and 19s per day, and carting them to and from their jobs, yet they ,give other men 7s per day “to go and get shot!” There was no sense or fairness in that! Cr Livingstone said that as it was a Government responsibility, the Gov. eminent should be left to carry it out. The present position ■ was absolutely unfair. Cr G. S. Clarke said the local bodies and patriotic committees were asked to agree to a system that they knew to be wrong. The chairman said the chairman of the Zone Committee was asking all local bodies to co-operate. He understood the Mayor of Te Awamutu was convening a public meeting at an early date.

Cr Onion said it was agreed to be essential to obtain men for military service, but the local bodies were within their rights in asserting that the present policy of the Government was inequitable. The Government had pledged all its resources—and quite rightly so—but the voluntary system was not achieving the desired end. Men in essential industries and occupations were volunteering, and being accepted, but some were not allowed to enlist. Continuing, Cr Onion said conscription would take the men who could best be spared. The volunteering system was working utterly unfair. He could name many young fellows who were keen to give their service, by bearing arms, but they were unacceptable because they were in what ■was called a necessary occupation. They were not allowed to enlist. There would be a far better spirit among the men if they knew that their services were being applied to the best occupations—whether bearing arms or increasing production. He could instance cases where young fellows from farms had left their jobs and gone to the cities and town to enroll, giving their occupation as labourer or something like that. Cr Church: That is correct.

Cr Onion said it was not fair, especially when someone else filled that young volunteer’s job on the farm, and was then in a sheltered job that he otherwise would not have got. He believed that in certain other occupations the men were not volunteering. Conscription would determine which, if any, of those men could be released for military service. If the need for men was real —and who would deny it?—then conscription was essential, and fair. The present method was “cutting the string at both ends.”

The chairman remarked that it was understood New Zealand’s contribution of men, in the effort to win the war, was computed at something like 90,000 men. Cr Onion then moved that the Waipa County Council considers conscription is the only fair and equitable system of obtaining men for military service, but so long as the Government’s present policy is for volunteering the Council will give what support it could. Cr J. W. Garland seconded. Cr Church commented that the Council could not do anything else! The motion was put and carried without dissent.