LABOUR AND THE NATIONAL REGISTER

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2565, 13 September 1915, Page 2

LABOUR AND THE NATIONAL REGISTER

PROTEST BY UNITED FEDERATION OF LABOUR, Tho following letter has been written by the secretary of tho United Federation of Labour to the Prime Minister: — "Sir,—l have, been instructed by the United Federation of Labour to express, on its behalf, the strongest possible protest against the National Registration Bill introduced by you. It is conscription pure and simple. Clauso 5 contains provisions enabling the military authorities to compel any person to submit to median! examination for tho purpose of ascertaining his fitness for active service. If this Bill is placed upon the Statute Book it is going to create serious dissension at' the time of the greatest crisis in the history of the Elnpire. just the time when all parties should be at amity with' each other. During the currency of the present war thoso people who have been most str'oivuously opposed to militarism in every shape and form have preserved a dignified neutrality. They adopted this course because they did not want to cause any embarrassment whilst, the' war lasted, believing that the Empire was engaged in a supremo struggle to uphold tho principles of democracy. All those brave men who have volunteered for service, and those who have sacrificed their lives on tlio battlefields of Europe, have done so for tho same reason.

"Now, if this measure is placed upon the Statute Book it means that a breach of faith will he committed' with every volunteer under the British flag. "This callow Dominion has been used in tho past as a lever for the introduction of compulsory military training, a system of militarism repugnant to tlio democracy of the Mother Country, and this National Registration Bill would not be tolerated by the workers of England, therefore why should this country ho used as a lever for the introduction of a system of militarism -which aims at placing the whole burden upon tho industrial classes in tho community, . by making them fight the battles of tlio Empire, foot the bill, and at the same time rob them of the freedom which they consider they aro fighting and paying to uphold. Organised labour in New Zealand does not wish to cause any dissension, and therefore rospectfully submits its most emphatic protest to the Government before the proposals contained in the Bill are made the law of the land. "Wo consider that the enactment of the measure as submitted by you w-ouid be a blunder of the first magnitude.—l am, etc., "HIRAM HUNTER, ; "National Secretary. "September 7, 1915."