COMPULSORY MILITARY TRAINING.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 539, 21 June 1909, Page 4

COMPULSORY MILITARY TRAINING.

' Sir,—Now .that .the landowners". and vvealtny morcbants,;; supported ..by.: parsons aud press and mußbrobni military tiro practically yelling'for the masses of the people to undergo a" ; course, of compulsory military training, with a view .'to deieudihg the, said landowners' and/wealthy- merchants' property from being,commandeered by an invading arfliy, an -excellent opportunity presents itself to, the wage-earners,:.an opportunity that they, will-not allow to slip, unless _ they have m. mora intelligence than rabbits. It is this: To demand their natural rights, which 'would: secure to thorn freedom and independence. : They would then havo something to fight for, if need b& At'present .'they haven't/ lowing to.land "monopoly and the. daily confiscation of their hard earnings, by. a gang of thieves, who fatten on the ..'rankest injustico, and -dan.seek to insure' their iltgotteri gains against looting by' endeavouring to got their victims' to'defend them "and fay the cost of such defence' and insuranceinto 'th'o bargain.' No; before the masses .fight for such creatures they should see them hinged; first. Whon the' people as a whole have got 1 the land of this country in. their own hands, they' will be ready to train and: fight, but not before. Let "Liberty" be their watchword, and,let them remember that'the true and only basis of liberty is the common ownership oftho soil and its revenues.. Justice is all we ask for, and it. is the' only thing that, we are fight for at present. I appeal to the intelligent Labour leaders, like Mr. D. M'Laren, to endeavour to. unite' Labour in this important matter to laugh compulsory military training but of oxistenco, and make the burning question of the day the restoration of the land to the people by means'of'the taxation method. This object attained they will be jn the right mood to- listen to the touching eloquence of tho various advocates, not forgetting the mushroom-, military "experts;" who, without tho aid of binoculars, think they now see fatter billets ahead.—l am, etc., . '.'■ i '■:'' 'WORKER. Wellington, June 14, 1909. ', ■ [Our correspondent's very violent outburst may not be: very convincing, but it should bo of 'interest as 'disclosing tho remarkable point of' view: of what wo believe to be a very small section of the community. There is no reason why ho should not clamour for what he calls "justice," : and at the same time take part in tho movement to provide, for tho defence against an outside foe of the thing hois clamouring for.] ■•.-"■■