MARRIED MEN AND CONSCRIPTION

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3038, 27 March 1917, Page 7

MARRIED MEN AND CONSCRIPTION

(To the Editor.)

'; Sir,—Miich has been written and ...more said about the'position of tho ' married men with dependants in'the' ! abbye connection, .and of the duty of' ■ our men to ourgreat Empire, but the Government, although the position is most serious and requires prompt attention, anibles along without a thought' of its duty and tho duty of those who arc left behind towards tho men who may shortly be called upon to' serve. The "Southland Times," in a recent well-thought-out article, drew attention to the position of married men with ■ ? dependants who may be called upon to serve in this world war, and in doing ' so have brought under notice a matter : i which the' Government o£ this country should at onco endeavour to deal with, and about which it should lay, down ;a ■. definito course of action. There. are many married , men with or without families who, after years of toil have attained some measure of 6uccess in their walk in life, and havo say, from five or six pounds a. week upwards, which is their estimated present public valuo in the community, to .: wjiom tho miserable, pittance. ..which may 'be paid to them, . not as a right, but as a sort of. charity dole, in event of, their./becoming" incapacitated from war causes, for tho work to which they , are acoustomcd, will be nothing short of a national scandal. 1 There are numbers of men too numerous to mention whose whole life has been given lip to reaching the position they have attained, and who, if they are killed;: will not be enabled to leave to their dependants more, probably, than tho proceeds of a life insurance policy, and some not "even that, • But " that' is not the worst feature financially; thoy may not b© killed, but incapacitated, and thereby rendered unfit for the positions they formerly occupied or tho wothey carried bn. If this* country demand the servicos :of these men, it must seo that neither thoy: nor their dependants are robbed of tho. fniits of their labours which they enjoyed prior to their being called up for servica. If the Government commandeer a man's house or his land, the price therefore must be paid, and if it demand his services, which may involve the loss of life or his ability to enjoy -life, 6urely the price nrast .be paid- also. There will bo very little appealing to the Appeal Boards -on the ground of hardship if the. Government does, its duty. 4o those called up. All those who pass the proper medical test will go readily enough if they feel assured that thoir future, if they have, tho good fortune to cpmp." through, alive, and the future of. those dependent on. them, in. any case, is not to b'e jeopardised. Tho people of this great country must not seize on-tho services of the man who has others dependent on his earning powers, and when ho has done his duty and fought thoir battles proceed to beggar him or his dependants. This war is being fought for the benefit' of future generations, and for tho benefit of tho men who for some reason or another arc. left; behind, and it is they who must pay for their immunity and good fortune accordingly-.—l am, ®tc.,

DAVID T. WILKIE.