COMPULSORY SERVICE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LX, Issue 143762, 10 April 1912, Page 3

COMPULSORY SERVICE.

CONSIDERED BY LABOUR PARTY. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, April 9. One of the most interesting questions that will come before the Labour Party at its annual conference will be military training. To-day the matter was introduced by a letter from the National Peace and Anti-Militarist Council of Christchurch, stating that the unrest prevailing everywhere on account of the attempted militarisation of the Dominion through the operation of the Defence Act was doubtless apparent to all member of the conference. Several resolutions were forwarded by the Christchurch Council—(l) proclaiming sincere sympathy with those youths and young men who have resented the encroachment on their liberties; (2) declaring that the so-called Defence Act is not fn the interests of peace, but leads toward war; and (3) that no such extraordinary measures as are embodied in the compulsory clauses are necessary in New Zealand. A motion that the letter should be dealt with at once was lost by 12 votes to 11. The subject will come before the conference at a later date. VIEWS OF DEFENCE MINISTER. WELLINGTON, April 10. Replying to a representative deputation which urged the enforcement of the compulsory principle of the Defence Act, the Hon. Mr. Myers said that so long as ho was Defence Minister it was clearly his duty to see the law carried out. Only a very small minority'of the people of the Dominion were opposed to military training. In regard to imprisonment, it was not the intention of t he Legislature that failure to comply with the Act should involve imprisonment, hut failure to pay a fine brought about that result, The majority of those imprisoned had served their sentences, but in regard, to ten, whose sentences varied from four to fourteen days, Cabinet remitted a portion of the sentence. Every man who refused to pay his fine was going to be imprisoned, but he pointed out that in tho cases under review each man had served a portion of his sentence, and the law to that extent had been vindicated. An amendment of the Act was contemplated _to provide some other penalty than imprisonment. Tho Government would endeavour to make the scheme an unqualified success.