A PROTEST AGAINST CONSCRIPTION

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2958, 22 December 1916, Page 4

A PROTEST AGAINST CONSCRIPTION

CONFERENCE. MEETS MINISTER

REPEAL OF THE ACT URGED

A SERIES OF DEMANDS

The Anti-Conscriptiouist Conference, Which, has boon sitting in Wellington 'during the past two days, summarised tho. result of their deliberations yesterday by waiting upon tho Minister of Labour (tho Hon. W. H. Herries) and asking, for the things they principally desire. The deputation numbered at least fifty.

• Tho deputation-was introduced by the member for Wellington South (Mr. A. H. Hindmarsh), who did his duty as a member of Parliament in introducing the deputation, and then withdrew.

Mr. J. Dowgray, the 'first speaker,, .said that the deputation . wished'to submit for tlio consideration of tlio Minister aud his colleagues matters of serious concern to the workers of New Zoaland. The first request was that Parliament should bo called together to', consider tho question of whether tile Military -Service Act should be repealed. .The Act was causing a great deal of irritation among tho workers of New Zealand, and during the last two months lio bad had the greatest difficulty, in keeping men at work on the West Coast. For reasons best known to the Government, the Government was irritating tho workers almost beyond endurance. There was no necessity for the Act in the first place, and 110 necessity for trouble now. He argued that already New Zoaland had sent to the front sufficient men in pro-, portion to her population, and that if many more were sent thore was groat danger, of the essential industries suffering by the withdrawal of necessary labour. The people had nover beon consulted abont ,tfie Act,; and in view of this tho workers asked first of all for tho repeal of tho Act. Failing the repeal of the Act,- the workers'' asked that a referendum bo taken. There were some differences of opinion in the ranks of labour about whether repeal or a 1 referendum should be the first demand, but they wero unanimously of opinion that if the Act wero not repealed tho question should be submitted to a referendum. He referred to what ho called "the industrial side | of the question," saying that it would be . difficult to restrain tho workers 1 from taking action. The workers w.ero •very strongly imbued with tho idea of freedom, which they had enjoyed for so long, that the -idea of conscription was repugnant to them. Tho majority of those present were people who had come from the. Old Country, who had come to New Zealand expecting'to find a certain 6et of conditions, and these conditions were not now existent. Thoy could riot even leave the country without' permission. Political Aspects. Mr. "H. Holland said that he wished ! to speak purely on the political aspect of the question. Ho understood that there was in one' of the Departments a, "black list," in which his name appeared. In that list lie believed that his name appeared, and that lie was described as a member of tho I.W.W. This was altogether wrong. He believed in political action rather than in direct action. In New Zealand thoy wero "deprived of tho. right to speak.freely of the necessity for reform. Parliament had passed tlio Military Service ' Act notwithstanding the fact that during ■last election no candidate had advocated, conscription or spoken aboiit the subject at all. Parliamont had also by giving itself a fresh lease of life disfranchised the people, and tho Government had power to say that people would be put in gaol for failing to obey Its laws, however bad those laws might be. This, 110 said, was "tho most terrible experience in the. history of tho country." He declared that the Government's edicts wero framed on the pattern of .Bismarck's', edicts in Germany during the period known as "the period of exceptional law." Ho spoke of the arrest_ of "Seinplo, Tliorne, and othors, declaring that they wero men whose characters were abovo reproach,. m?s who had done 110 wrong except to protest against laws which they believed to be bad. He urged that those mon-ought not to bo subjected to tho indignity of gaol associations or prison clothes, that they should be treated as political prisoners, that they should be treated at least as well as the Germans interned on Soinbs Island. -He protested also against tho practice of refusing bail to these men, depriving them of a proper opportunity of arranging for their defence. "This Imperialism." Mrs. Wells was tho next spoaker called upon. She spoko of the growth of British liberty, and so 011. .Then she said some other things: "We think," slio said, "thousands of our people think, chat this Imperialism is costing us too much. There was a time when wo looked to our Parliament for light and leading. Now wo are no' longer ruled by our own, Parliament, but by a section of tho British Government. Behind that section there aro shadowy figures, financiers who have power to make and unmako Governments." Sho declared also that diplomatists were in league tvith the armament makors. Our children, she said, were'being promised for expeditionary armies in JSuiopo to fight for causes of which they know nothing, and they were promised without regard to parental rights, or rights of conscience. Lloyd George, it had been stated, was not only tho dictator of England, but of Canada, Australia, South Africa, .and New Zealand. She maintained that the same disintegrating forces wore at work which had lost Britain the United States, and that an election should take place, and that whon it did take place "tho whole question of tho Imperial issuo should bo raised, and should be dealt with by the people. 1 ' ' ■-

Mr. J. M'Combs, M.P., made a speech very like many of those- ho had made when the Military Service Act was before tlio House. His argument was that Now Zealand had promised a certain number of men, that the number had boon increased by the Government, that the number of men found • by Now Zealand was greater by proportion than tho numbors found by Canada and Australia, and that, thoroforo, Now Zealand should not have to suffer conscription. Tho Minister's Reply. Tho Hon. W. H. Hcrries said that ho could not bo expected to givo a reply to all tho questions raised. As for tho Military Sorvieo Act, all the arguments for and against wore to bo scon in tho pages of Hansard. . Tho Government was concerned chiefly a"bout winning the war, and he would not insult any member of tho deputation by saying that this was not also the desire of tho deputation. A Voice: Not by intimidation. The interjection gavo Mr. Webb and Mr. M'G'ombs. some concern, and Mr. Webb busied himself then and afterwards in keeping good ordor. Ho waß entirely successful. Mr. Hcrries said that tho Government had introduced the Military Sorvico Act because it seemed that voluntary enlistment would not produce tho nioii ron.uifwl.' 'Tlio Government's pro"-" posals for compulsory service had boon"

carried by a hugo majority in Parliament. At no stago was tho strength of tho opposition more than 7 or 8, and on the last division ho thought only four voted against it. Tho Government had to tako tho opinion of Parliament as being the opinion of the people of this Dominion. Voices: "No, it is not," and- expressions of dissent.

. Mr. Horrios: Well, in a democratic country n representative in' Parliament is entitled to be considered as the representative of tho people lie stands for, and the Government lias a right, and tho Imperial Government has a right, to suppose that when the New Zealand Parliament passes an Act, that is the intention of the people of New Zealand. A voice: Not so. Mr. Herries: Well, if you think it is not so, you must speak to your own members about, it. You can't speak to tho Government about it, . . . because tho Government must tako thq opinion of members of Parliament as the expression of the opinion of tho people of this Dominion. The Act has been passed, and wo aro bound .to carry it out. He said that ho would submit to his colleagues tho reguest that Parliament should be called together early to consider the question of the repeal of tho Act. but lie would not promise' to support that proposal, ill any case be thought Mr. M'Combs could tell them what sort of chanco there was' that Parliament would agree to tho repeal of the Act. Regarding the recent prosecutions, , tho question of. bail rested with tho Magistrate, and was not for the Government. -As to the treatment of the men imprisoned under theso regulations, this was a question for tho Justice Department, and not for him. This was ono of tho questions be would liavo to refer to bis colleagues. As to'tho regulations, the Government had considered that it was necessary toput these" regulation's in forco~in order to carry out tho law, and if a man was 1 not guilty of a breach of the law be would not be punished,, but if .ho was guiltv ho would havo to suffer the penalty. In Parliament it would bo opou to the representatives of the people to movo a voto of want of confidence, and turn tho Government out. (Hear, hear.) The Government was quite prepared to meet that vote. A voice: You'won't give tho people fl. chance to voto!

Mr. Holland said that he bad omitted to make' the requost that thoy should havo tho right of free speech to got rid of tho Government when the proper time came. >

Mr. Herries said that there was nothing in the regulations to prevent speech of. that kind. As a matter of fact tho Government had not prosecuted the men who had said that the Government should bo'blown up by a Gorman bomb, because thoy were advised that such words were not actionable. ''.'••

Mr. Herries's speech concluded with a good-natured interchange of declarations of hostilities between himself and Mr. Holland. Indeed; the most remarkable feature of thowhole meeting was tho spirit humour emanating from the Minister, and quite obviously pervading tho wholo assembly. Tho men and women of the deputation were intensely antagonistic to tho Government, but somehow Mr. Herries ; whilo concealing nothing escaped their hostility.