DEFENCE ACT ADMINISTRATION.

Timaru Herald, Volume C, Issue 15335, 1 May 1914, Page 5

DEFENCE ACT ADMINISTRATION.

To the Editor of the "Timaru Herald." Sir.—l wish through the medium of your widely circulated paper to draw the -attention x of the public to some of the phases of the administration of the Defence Act. To-day all the eligible youths from the age of fourteen to eighteen (senior cadets) throughout South Canterbury are commanded to attend in Timaru for the purpose of parading before Sir lan Hamilton. Having three or four Territorials and Cadets in my family I took some of them this morning to AUrary to meet the Fairlie train for the purpose of fulfilling this command. The morning was bitterly cold and raw, with no sun shining, and when the train drew in I was astounded and certainly far from pleased to see all these unfortunate youths huddled together in an open cattle truck richt up behind the engine, and at the' - same time a long line of comfortable passenger carriages with hardlv any occupants. The first impression of the stranger would he that thev were a. lot of criminals, lepers, or undesirables, of some sort that had to be isolated from the-'r fellow men and for whom an open cattle track was good enough to convey them to their destination. Further, th-.- dross that these senior earless are compelled to weariji something different from their every day wear—short, trousers with the bulk of tli<v!r leas bare, so you c*t\ realise what the onen trucks would be to them on such a,morning as this. I spoke to the officer in com-

-mandj who was most courteous, and | stated that lie regretted the matter .as much as I or any one could, more particularly as there was such an abundance oil room in ' the almost empty carriages. He did not know who was chieflv to blame; his instructions came from "the Railway Department, Timaru, and thev were imperative. Now I want and will know, who is to blame for this insult to- the flower of the budding manhood of this Dominion. These splendid youths are giving their time and their work gratuitously and freely in the interests of the Dominion, and that is the manner in which they are treated. In my humble ooinion, 'instead of being herded together like so many cattle, the Railway Department owns nocarriages too good for them to travel in and under such circumstances as the present thev should be given of the best. No wonder there is so- much friction in carrying out the Defence. Act. It is all owing to the tactless and irritating manner in which it is being administered. Although the Defence Act is causing many of us alob of inconvenience, yet we realise something is, necessary, and wo are trving to assist the Government as much as possible. But I would warn the Government quietly that it is far from popular, there is a strong smouldering fire in existence agamst it; that a few more actions such as happened to-day will cause it to burst into open conflagration the Defence Act as <nt present constituted off the Dominion's Statutes.—l am, etc., ROBERT GUTHRIE. Mt: Nessing, April 30th, 1914.