SINGLE MEN WITH DEPENDANTS.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2792, 9 June 1916, Page 6

SINGLE MEN WITH DEPENDANTS.

Sir,—ln regard to this Conscription Bill before the House, 1 think strongly that single men with dependants ought >to be placed in the seconu division with ordinary married man with dependants. It seems hard that men, say, of 40 years of ago who havo never married because they have had members of their family to keep should bo placed in the same division as men who tried to evade military service by getting married. The civil law placcs a single man with dependants on the same platform as a married mail with dependants, and compels him to support a mother or sister or brother dependant on him just the same as it compels a married.man to support his dependants. The Imperial Government evidently looked at it in this light, too, for in its Bill/to compel single men to bear arms it excluded single men with dependants. Therefore I think the New Zealand Bill should do the same, by putting them in the second division. I know of one siuglo man about forty who has not married becauje for twelve years ho has had nothing but trouble. His mother died about eight years ago, after lying bod-ridden for four years. All this time ho provided for his sick mother, a delicate sister, who was waiting on her, and an aged father, who was partially dependent on him. After the mother died his only brother took 111 of consumption and died after about three years of suffering. This brother's wife Sredecensed him about eighteen months. Hiring the whole time they were ill he practically provided for' them, and his delicate unmarried sister and father besides, and is now providing for this dolicatc 6ister and partially for his father of eighty odd years. Do you think seriously, sir, such a man should be classed with men who havo married to avoid military service? I hope sincerely this Conscription Bill will not pass, but if it does it is to be hoped this flaw, among others, will bo rectified.—l ain, etc., JUSTICE.