COMPULSORY SERVICE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2890, 30 September 1916, Page 3

COMPULSORY SERVICE

Sir, —Under the above heading,, in your to-day's issue, you state; "lor a little time to come only the_ First Division will be drawn upon in tho conscription ballots taken." I should ho giad to know what exactly is meant. If it means that after a few months of balloting from the First Division ballots will bo taken in tho Second Division, then it seems to me that many young married men will be drawn, snd many single men escape, service. I undo Etcod that ihe First Division'would bo wholly exhausted boforo the Seoond Division was called on. Am I.right? —I am, etc;,- '••' • ■ « ENQUIRER. [The First Division will bo' exhausted before tho members- of tho Second Divi-1 sion aro called on.] ' , j SEEING OFF OUR SOLDIERS j MUDDLED ARRANGEMENTS FOB, j NEXT-OF-KIN. . . • | Sir, —May I, through tho. columns of your paper; congratulate the members of the police force who were stationed (or who had stationed themselves) at the barrier at the end .of the wharf at which the ——- was moored, and from which -she sailed on ——. [The vessel here referred to was the last transport to leave.] They havo given mo an entirely new idea of policemen and their duties. I had always supposed, and my experience during a tolerably long number of -years, had confirmed me in tho that policemen woro helpful, friendly human beings in uniform to whom one could apply for information or. assistance, with tho certainty of readily gotting either, so . far as it lay in their power. On tho date in . question ,1, in .common with ..many others, gavo up our' next-of-kin tickets and went to tho barrier at the end of the wharf. There we waited till tho troopj had marched through, the town —waited while "they marched on the wharf —waited while they got on board —waited still. Thero were three police•men within two yards of where I was standing. They were asked repeatedly when the gate was to be opened, aind : gavo no information. They were asked to open tho gate'repeatedly—by the men on the transport as well. Men near me began to say they would get it open if nothing was done. Still the policemen chatted and laughed' among themselves, and one especially looked at us from time to time with ah. amused smile as if at au amusing picture show. Presently the mood of tho crowd became rather unpleasant, and then, not till then,- tho policeman I spoke of laughed, and said: "This gate is not goiug to be opened at all." It was certainly funny. There were old women there, women keeping brave faces, and quiet, gentle manners, small children brought to seo' off thoir fathers, old men —all waitiug. eagerly for the one little space of timo in which they might Bee their soldier folk and give the last mossages, and so on; in some cases the last for over. It was very funny, wasn't it? ''

Then, the crowd turned, despairingly and made for somewhere —anywhere, 'l'hero was no holding it. The crush was frightful. Then someone shouted, "No, go back," and the pushing and fever increased. I have been in many a crowd in different countries, and I tell you, sir, if there had been some frightful accident it wouM have been only due to tbo callous mismanagement and indifference. There is n great and growing feeling .among tho- public fis to the way the relatives and their interests aro neglected,: ill spite of all the sloppy sentiment that is poured over us continuously about brave mothers, brave lads, noble-hearted patriots, and all the rest. Impersonally, and I'm euro I speak tho feelings of hundreds of 'other mothers, am proud to give my only son for duty's sake, without being sentimentalised over, but I'm not prepared to be squeozed flat or take part iu a football scrhnmago on my way to see the last of him, for that is not duty, but sheer imbecile mismanagement on tho part of thoso who diould be responsible, and I holicvo would reall.v do better if they realised tho trouble and injury they infiiot.—l am, eto., NEXT-OF-KIN. [Our correspondent's complaint is not a new or an isolated one. Tho authorities appear to bo quito unable to devißo a satisfactory method of handling the situation. Hundreds of people aro admitted to tho wharves who have no claim to consideration; while fathers and mothers and near relatives from other parts who aro not familiar with tho procedure followed aro crowded out. On tho occasion of which our correspondent complains, tnattcrs wero rather .better, than -usual, but tho position,

us stated, was bad enough for anything. Special consideration should bo given to parents of departing troopers, especially elderly people, who should bo admitted to the wharf itself l>cforo tho troops march on to tho transport.]