COMPULSORY SERVICE.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 May 1916, Page 7

COMPULSORY SERVICE.

• CAPTAIN J. B. HINE'S VIEWS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Wellington, May 12. Captain J. B. Hine (Stratford) appeared in the House of Representatives jn uniform this evening and made a soldier's speech. He said first that as an officer of t.he Expeditionary Force he was sorry that members of the House had suggested doubt, regarding the loyalty of any New Zealand officer. He could say 011 behalf of himself and many other officers that they would think better of the House if members expressed no doubt regarding the loyalty of any man sent to the front from NewZealand; Turning to t'he National Government, Captain Hine said lie liad not approved of everything the Ministers had done, but he realised that they had done their best, and lie was sure' that the results, taken as a whole, had been thoroughly good. The Dominion had enlisted over 50,000 men for service abroad, and experience had shown that the troops were well trained and well en dipped. That a fine achievement. There was more to be done, and in that connection lie hoped that the Compulsory Service- Bill was going to be a thorough-going measure. There should be very few exemptions indeed, and the Bill should apply to every able-bodied man in the country. The Prime .Minister: It does.

Mr. Hinc added tliat 110 able-bodied man, even a member of Parliament, should lie allowed to leave the country at tilie present time. He was sorry that seme of the worker# had taken the opportunity of the war to demand increases of wages, and lie regretted exceedingly tlwt the Government had yielded to the railwaymen. Referring to the needs of the returned soldiers, Mr. Hine said the men were not getting all the consideration they deserved, The Government should be doing more in the direction of asnistiiig returned soldiers to employment, not necessarily on tiie land. All the invalided men could not become farmers, but they should all be placed within reach of employment.