DOMINION ARMY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20096, 16 November 1939, Page 5

DOMINION ARMY

CONSCRIPTION PLEA

CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE

MILITARY SERVICE

EQUITY AND EFFICIENCY

(Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. A decision to advocate conscription for military service was made by the annual conference of the Associated Chambers of Commerce of New Zealand yesterday.

The subject was brought before the conference under the following remit from the Dunedin chamber: “That this conference urges upon the Government the imperative necessity for the adoption of a system of conscription for military service upon a basis having due regard to equity and national efficiency.’’

In moving the adoption of the remit, Mr. C. L. Calvert. Dunedin, said he had never yet heard a sufficient or even a partially effective answer to the principle of the remit. He had been startled to read a statement by the Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones, that at the moment the spontaneous response to tile appeal for voluntary enlistment precluded any contemplation of the introduction of conscription. The recruiting figures, however, showed the country could not put an effective force into the war under the voluntary system. Remit Amended There was conscription of wealth, said Mr. M. G. C. McCaul, Wellington, so why should there not be conscription of men also? There would be a grave danger in passing the remit in the present form, said Mr. M. H. Oram, Palmerston North. What was meant by conscription of wealth nobody knew. It might mean the expropriation of properly. He suggested they should investigate all the surrounding circumstances and urge conscription on definite lines as to pay, allowances, pensions and other concomitants which would relieve the burden those conscripted would have to bear. He moved an amendment that the remit be referred back to the Dunedin chamber for redrafting and resubmission to the conference later.

Numbers of other speakers supported the remit. Subsequently Mr. Oram withdrew his amendment and the remit, amended to the following terms, was carried: “That this conference urges upon the Government the imperative necessity for the adoption of a system of conscription for military service, such conscription being based upon equity and national efficiency.”