COMPULSORY MILITARY TRAINING.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 544, 26 June 1909, Page 3

COMPULSORY MILITARY TRAINING.

Sir, —Permit me to offer my humble views appertaining to this alleged complex opinion on. the question of compulsory military training, and general surrounding circumstances. 1- maintain this; agitation :\i or. compulsory training, is,. to ..the. true democracy, .but the glimmer, of, a towering.. beacon,- in.' .the' dim .distance of an economic; monument as surely in courso of construction as ■ the conditions that go -to bring forth .the : dawn of a new born.day; and a warning that what is goodfori thonation must partake of a national existence, and wo must,all be in it. For a moment consider Mr. M'Nab, "the angel guardian elect,";''espousing.this cause, "and his methods."' Docs any sane person' deny: the: necessity' of.' discipline and training for " self-defence at. the proper time? A. number.do oppose' the;., scheme, not necessarily'-,the to •;■ trains for defence, but tie fact of the. inequality and want of a proper 'foundation l , on which to base the: structure; - That the object to be defended, shall be .worth the'defending, and that : the individual' effort put forward being equal in .this case 'for what reason should there exist .in this 1 country unequal results- to the individual effort : to- create a home_ to defend?, You .toilers ofi'thi'g land, this agitation for compulsory military training, simply foreshadows the conviction that first and foremost before the privileged few whip you into' line like a yoke of oxen are handled, you, with-. your weight of numbers and vote,;, should see ''that'.-'the'"conditions you are asked to defend '.are w'orthy'of the defence called for; Just picture .'thirty thousand ,of you . Wellington ■ toilers : , at Oringii in'camp,' and your, merchants dealing, out to ,you the.-necessaries of; life you are.asked, to defend', and ask them 'to riamo the reason, why, you, frhile jointly' defending, should' not be jointly, interested in the distribution of, same,, ;. ; This .Wellington city alone consumes about 15 tons of butter per week;, twbbence'.per;pound.toll'levied,, which now would go into! one,man's,pocket,- say, namely, per ;week £300 iwould go, a fair way .towards paying : for"'expenses' instead --of 'giving a monopoly, .Take.any "other commodity for human consumption, and- see the ''result you get, :Yet your'"Jeading*-lights'.''in this routine .'of military training; are all-, 'cleyer" - men, .men. who - handle that Jon which the : 'very -life's blood/depends to course through your,; veins; are. you all. in--these deals? Are you all in the land monopoly? Are you all in\tbe flour combination ?< > Are you-all in the.coal problem? If you are all needed, to defend''these ~things,;.why.not. all have a,: legitimate, fair interest 'in. them, and purchase-.them at a legitimate cost.' '.'Are you aU, in the.' land ..gambles,, around,, this city?'; ,-.,'■' .■:-. ■■:•:;- ■ -...;»;■:'•.,,• .To, Mr. M'Nab; I .say::;Lay;'the foundation Of your structure,.'the ; legitimate; and fair conditions that should exist.' .You, Mr, M'Nab, '.who : are so-! wonderfully .."clever," bhow those.who areignoraht.the fierce white light of justice and, equitable dealing that.shotiM-exist.; Placo the'eost'of defence I whore the burden', should be borne, and equitably balanced, and; you'll, ge't'tho'-nation to a .many, to.'fall, in. .with • you.;;-'Mr,;vM'Nab, ■ray opinion is that'.ybu.are guessing.- Your problem js unsound.,, ;Your attempt to - build a >.: national ~ structure is on a quick-sand foundation',< and, failure.will be yoiir legitimate result, and ;the reward you .deserve To all democrats in-this ■ country ; 'l considei there perhaps,never was such surrounding conditions existing that 'go to' prove tliat you Bhould. be compulsorij)r organised,' and agitation 'should ■'■ furnish it..'.;: The \whole ma-: tenal ooriditions'of your, very lifehavobeen organised and consolidated, but for 'personal interest.only, and the,privileged few'j your loading -lights,: your "clever'.' mem are what? Traders, perhaps gamblers, in the Very necessaries of life.; ; Ah, yes, gamblers in the ; very- soil from'which, tht) , necessaries., are wrung,,and which the masses are: asked- to defend. How blind We all-must bo; What towering monuments -have': arisen-, to' prove' the falsity of the position that exists to-day. Just one item. The hospital' authorities i'de-l cided "recently;to put in, cold storage a quan-' tity or butter for winter use,: in- case prices went up; why not''Wellington city do the same thing? ',:'; ,- ,■ :■ ' -.-'"'■■ This reminds me.. At. a.recent conference of tho Chamber; of. Commerce, one; of their' members '■_ stated; : referring to , the Dreadnought gift, and.cost:, "Surely we can pay ono.pound per head." T say also, surely a woman and. six orphan children, I now have in my' mind, can 'pay one. pound per head of the cost of • this ■ snip; ■: The irony -of such' a I "trust' this''agitation for compulsory training will have' 'the result I anticipate;,.: I/wolcome .this agitation: for compulsory training, especially from the ladies. ,Tr'uo, -the l , home,'is their;: kingdom,' and while' they request their sons to prepare to defend "a . possible'■ invasion of tbat homo from; a foe, that' home, consists of what? True, liberty, 'all' the.'beauties;of intellectual attainments' and high-'riioral 'principles, honesty; and fair dealing. But what an agitation•- shall: take' nlnce' from -these' same ladies if they; ever, discovered missing from that homo'one of the, golden links'that make that; chain—honesty' and fair' dealing What a national .'home defence . awakening there would be; shall it ever need'to come? —I am, ete.,- : ...-'. .':.',. ,;■ .;;;.' -.-