LABOUR AND COMPULSORY SERVICE.
Sir. —May I 'be permitted, through the courtesy of your paper, to appeal to those trade unions who are threatening to strike in the event of the Compulsory Military Bill being pu,t into operation. 1 would like them to consider how it might - nfl'cct its—the returned soldiers 1. appeal to them as a friend .and not as an outsider. Suppose the threat should be curried out and a sudden stoppage of industry occur, the Government would be forced to appeal for volunteers to enrry 011 the necessary work. AYo have, or probably will have, at the front about 50,000 men, who are our comrades. These men, a good many of them, have endured hardships oil th?'shores of Gallipoli and are enduring still hardships at the battlelields in France and elsewhere, and we—those 5000 returned men who are here—entertain towards them the souse of fellowship which only those can feel who fought side by side." They will have to bo provided for, and. no doubt the Government, should the fatal threat be can-ied out, would appeal to us. Duty alone would compel us, in justice to our friends, to see that they get everything tlie.V/require. The returned soldier would be drawn in, and thus a situation would arise which would imperil the Labour movement. That Labour feels that a certain section of tho community who has 'more'at stake than the worker might lie exempt is quite natural, and I would say to ilia labour unions to agitate lor such a tribunal which would do justice to nil.. Above all, if those ivho nre opposed to conscription would put . their shoulders to the wheel, compulsion need not be put into force.. I cannot believe that there are many in the community who ate noutral, nor anxious for tho victory of the Central Powers. That war
is not pleasant is acknowledged by all except-by soffo Gcrffan philosophers, but we have got to face the music and see to it that future wars should be prevented. —I am, etc.,: JOHN I. l?OX, Sapper, N.Z.E.. June 23. -
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Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2805, 24 June 1916, Page 7
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346LABOUR AND COMPULSORY SERVICE. Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2805, 24 June 1916, Page 7
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