The Waipawa Mail. Published Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays TUESDAY, APRIL 18th, 1916. CURRENT TOPICS.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XXXVI, Issue 7709, 18 April 1916, Page 2

The Waipawa Mail. Published Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays TUESDAY, APRIL 18th, 1916. CURRENT TOPICS.

Roll Revision. At its meeting’ on Friday evening the Borough Council decided to support the recruiting system so far as the revision of the roll is concerned, a decision which should meet with general approval. As we have previously pointed out, this is really the foundation work for conscription, and when the necessary legislation is passed the work will be rendered very much easier by reason of what has been done by the local bodies. But we are afraid that little good can now be done by personal canvass. The instances quoted by councillors are sufficient to show that in certain quarters personal interests are still operating against national interests, and people who thus place self before duty are not likely to be influenced by individual appeal. What we imagine the Government really want is a mandate from the local bodies, as representing the people, to enforce the compulsory system, so that when Parliaments meets they will be able to state clearly and definitely that it is the popular wish that conscription should come. If every local body would take .the course adopted by the Waipawa Borough Council and declare straight out for conscription, instead of making promises which they do not carry out, the Government would have no excuse for procrastinating. Failure of Voluntarism. The failure of the voluntary system is strongly reflected in the discussion which took place at a meeting of the Wellington War Recruiting Committee the other day, and advantage was taken of -the occasion to launch some very trenchant criticism against the Government. Mr Luckie maintained that the whole trouble in connection with recruiting was occasioned by the Government mismanagement. .Dr Newman contended that the authorities had as persistently underrated the good work done by the committees as they had obstinately rejected its suggestions. Mr Von Haast attributed the failure of the voluntary system to the refusal of the Government to grant adequate pensions and allowance, and to establish receiving camps in the principal centres, and Captain Barclay declared that if the committee could not get the assistance of the Government in practical things it might as well discontinue its efforts to secure men. A majority of the members of the committee expressed themselves as strongly in favor of conscription, apparently in the belief that the resources of voluntarism were well-nigh exhausted, and refused to believe that the personal canvass urged upon them by the Recruiting Board would be anything but a hopeless business. One member, the Mayor of a suburban borough, objected to the personal canvass because it might lead to the canvassers being asked why they did not induce their own sons to volunteer for service, • and another objected to wasting his time on the work while the Government failed to call up men who had already enlisted. Surely these facts, together with the very poor response which has been made of late to Ministerial appeals at public meetings, will convince the Government that the time has arrived for a change of policy.