THE PEACE COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 126, 15 October 1912, Page 4

THE PEACE COUNCIL.

ITS ANTI-MILITARY AIMS. TURNED DOWN BY BOROUGH "*" COUNCIL. A letter from, the National Peace Council received sihort shrift at the hands of the Borough Council last night. The secretary of that body in. drawing the attention of the Council to the proposed amendments to the' Defence Act, now before the House, pointed out that "no amendment would be tolerated whiek does not take the sting of compulsion out of the Act." The letter added: "Mj Council, therefore, urges upon you the necessity of weighing carefully the Government's proposals when they art brought before the House, in the light, not merely of the present anti-conscript feeling, but remembering that our campaign against the Act has only just begun, that thousands of those who are now apathetic and some who are against us, will, with the knowledge of the real facts concerning this Act and its unreason spread over the country, come to our assistance, until the demand for iU repeal will become irresistible. This demand will, we believe, in the very near future prove effective, and we look to the year IUI4 to wipe out the blot put upon us in 1909, and only enforced during the past year." Councillors did not treat the lettei seriously, several speakers Avaxing sarcastic at the expense of the Peace Council.

The Mayor was particularly cmphaijfc in his condemnation of the sentiments expressed in the letter, and he moved the following motion:— "That the New Plymouth Borough Council reiterates its warm support of the principle of universal training for purposes of defence and tihat the National Peace Council representing as it dbet a very small minority of the people of New Zealand, be informed that tim Council has no sympathy with its aims and objects, and is of the opinion that men who are not prepared to make tb« small sacrifice required of them to HI them for protection of their own home 9, would be better out of the country altogether." The motion found a ready seconder in Or. Buxton, himself an ardent Territorial officer.

Cr. Gilbert held suoh strong views on the subject that he thought the Council was demeaning itself by taking any notice whatever of the letter. He moved an amendment that it should be laid on the table.

Cr. Ambury: lam opposed to your resolution, your Worship, because I think it is altogether too stringent. I think there is a good deal of comment in it which would be far better left out. We can reply that we cannot see <mt way to fall in with their objects, and just drop it. Although they are in a small minority they have a right to their opinion, and I don't see bhat wt should go out of our way to cast a slur upon those who differ from us in ,th«>r opinions. A Councillor: I think we should rub it in,!

Cr. Clarke thought that no man living in the British Empire had a right to hold an opinion of that sort. He should leave -the country. He did not think the mo* tion was too stringent. The Council should squash it in one hit.

Cr. Gilbert's amendment, which was seconded by Cr. Morcy, was lost by four votes to eight, and the motion was carried.