THE COMPULSION BILL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2756, 27 April 1916, Page 6

THE COMPULSION BILL

ITS PROBABLE SHAPE

DISTRICT QUOTAS THE

BASIS

FINALLY—THE BALLOT

PENSIONS & ALLOWANCES

Tho Compulsory Service Bill, it may be presumed, lias now taken at least tentative shape. It has not yet been finally considered by Cabinet, so that not oven the-Ministers know exactly in .what form it will finally be presented to the House. It is possible, however, from hints given from time to time and from the progress of events connected with recruiting; to form a very fair idea of what the main features of the. compulsion •scheme will be. Tho first essential of it will be the assessment of district quotas, in the same way-as they are now assessed for the purposes of voluntary enlistment. Tho adoption of this will involve lio disturbance in present methods of working. Wo have had it emphasised so very many times by Ministers that they have a deep-rooted detestation for compulsion that it may safely be assumed that they will adopt some scheme of conscription which will involve as little compulsion as possible. If the quota system is part of the new scheme, then thero need bo no compulsion in a district which- supplies its quota hv voluntary enlistment. If in a district sufficient volunteers are not offering to supply tho quota, compulsion will hav-e to be exercised-. This will be done by ballot among the eligible, men, whowill bo classified according to their obligations. Single men without dependents will come first, and married men with large families last. The. classification of tho intervening grades may be done by rough and ready methods,- as 'in the National Register, or it'may be done with great thoroughness and care, in which-case the task may prove to be of no little difficulty. .

■ The Bill will provide : for general compulsion. It will make every fit man of military age, liable to serve in the Army. An opinion has been fairly generally held that the.' Government will commandeer only the unembarrassed single men, and that an improved schedule of separation allowances and pensions will be introduced to make it easier_ for men with dependents to gb. This is not so. may be that, the scale of allowances and pensions will be made more generous, ,but this is extremely doubtful. There is to'be au amendment of the War Pensions Act, but probably the amendments will not affect the scale on which payments are to be made, but will deal rather with the controversial question of "pensions by riglit." Indeed, certain remarks of the Prime Minister in a speech made by him yesterday at the opening of the Soldiers' Hostel gave the impression that he .considered the rate of pensions and allowances'"'.satisfactory.-' Ho did not,.however, say this specifically. It, is also a fact that the authorities now arc agreed that an annual pensions charge of one million sterling is in 6isrht,'and when the Bill was before the House last session this was regarded as the utmost limit to which the' country could with safety commit itself. For many month's it appeared that the million would never be reached, but of late the increase in payments has been rapid. It-mav be that pressure from the House will compel the' Government to' increase the rates of pension, but at present the chances of the Government proposing to make a general con-siderable-increase in the rates are considered to, be remote. •