DEFENCE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 691, 16 December 1909, Page 8

DEFENCE.

'.'.•■''.'.;•:■:' ';.—— -♦——. .':';; : ; A WELLINGTON PETITION. i Tho text' of the following petition speaks for itself':— . '■■■ ./• /• '■'..'■. ■ IC2 Featherston Street, . .'.- ." , ''Wellington, 15th Dec., 1909. * To the Eight-.-Honourable Sir' J. G.' Ward, : ;:' K.C.M.G., P.C., Prime Minister, Wellington/ ■.':/. .. i i Sir—Tho Public Committee of Wellington for Universal Training obseTvesthat a deputation, from the Trades and Labour Council waited upon you yesterday, and opposed tho provisions of the new Defence Act ■for. compulsory training of young men. The oommiUce has refrained from sending a deputation to wait upon yon knowing the-great' demands upon your time, though it feels certain it can at short notico attend with a deputhat .would fill to overflowing any of the rooms where .deputations- .are .received. The committee , desires to point out that yestorday's deputation • does not in fact represent the actual opinion of a very, large-proportion of the Trades aud labour Councils, either in Wellington" or throughout New . Zealand, which' include somo of tho strongest supporters of the movement. -If wo recollect the\report correctly., the principle of compulsory', training was in..substance approved at one meeting of the council.in Wellington, though it was reversed, at a subsequent, meeting. The principle 1 was 'discussed at tho New Zealand Conference here..-recently, and.'was defeated byonly U to .11. Of the Wellington delegates' to the conference.several were personally in, favour. :of the principle, - though .'a. block vote against it had io bo given under the constitution of the council. The principle was also 'dealt ".with by the Trades, and labour Councils in other districts, and we understand that in Canterbury the co'uncil was divided, that in •Westland it was in favour of it, and that in both .Dunedin'and.Auckland the councils were unanimous for'it, and.it is well known that members'of tho Auckland Council have been in .the forefront of;.this movement from'.'its earliest stages. As the matter is.one of immediate public interest, a copy of this'letter is being handed to the press.—We have tho honour.toibe, sir, yours, etc., . • Signed (For tho committee)—A. Hume, P. C. Freeth,. J. G. "W. Dalryniple, A. R. Atkinson, R. Clement' Kirk, Robert M'Kenzie, S. A. Atkinson. ".. an.infoemal;vote.'.':.: .; ■ ■ Formal business iii connection with,, the annual meeting of the Yorkshire Society having been disposed of last evening, the members drifted into'an informal debate on the compulsory training clause in the, new Defence Bill. Mr. W. S. Bedford-expressed himself strongly against compulsion, stating that such an important issue should be put-to the country in the form of. a referendum;- Mr. G. T. Hall dofonded the clause, .maintaining stoutly that it was a .right and-.proper thing for youths between" 18 and 20 years to undergo military . training to; fit .themselves for. the defence of their country. , It, would .be.for the good of every young man to become amenable to"'the; discipline' of military control for a year or.two, irrespective of his'social status in the community. During the'debate, Mr. Bedford intimated his' intention of calling a public meeting 'to protest against'■ the Bill going through without taking a referendum "od the question; ''••; .• .', , : ;.'..-- ANOINT RAISED. /..'.-''. (By Tcleerapli.-SDeclttl OarronooaaenU -.', ; Wanganujj December ;i5." A well-known volunteer, / speaking to a "Hflfaid"' representative to-day, said that tho proposal of ..the Government to separate', men undergoing compulsory training from those who had finished it already is having tho offect of causing volunteers to- rofer to. the compulsoryperiod meiuas the "awkward squad.",.He.stated emphatically .that-'-'a policy which - would hands from the new, instead of. keeping them so' .that > tho" former' might'"steady .'the., latter, was , ; not whaV-the cotihtry.requiredi Another objection, he said, wasthat ; the;-."Territorials";.woqld r look down on tho compulsory-trained force,'.whereas if there was;only ene force members of it would feel pride' in it'in common with each other Ho .thought it far bettor that those .who had finished thoir • term' of training .should bo on-, couraged'.to stay,.on'by the inducement of first call.on.promotions. '' '" ~ •■•