ENCOURAGING THE VOLUNTEER

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2177, 5 September 1907, Page 2

ENCOURAGING THE VOLUNTEER

WHAT THE EAIPLOYERS THINK. (Special to Times.) WELLINGTON, September 4. Speaking of the necessity for rprider volunteering, Colonel CoihiiJ, £ncial member of the Council of Defence, last Alonday said that though the Council was endeavoring to do its best for the improvement of volunteering there were other things required. To make success assured the Council wanted the support of the jniblie. It wanted a great number of tho people to bo volunteers and it wanted assistance from the employers. These should recognise what a proper defence of the public really meant to them of all people. If the country was attacked and there was only a handful of volunteers to defend it their prospects would be poor indeed and their’s would be the greeter mss. If we failed to get an adequate number of volunteers conscription would havo to como. . .

With the intention of ascertaining the views of some representative employers of labor ail Evening Post reporter interviewed a number of Wellington business men to-day. The position was well put by ono employer. He spoke incisively of what he regarded as the greatest detriment to general volunteering. It was, Ir* s iiJ :!:•• over devotion to sport. He was always glad to so© an interest taken in athletics, but ho was sure tHat the pursuit was being overdone. That was the true reason why so small a proportion of the people volunteered. What was - required was that athletics should be less widely pursued. It amounted to this, that • i;ev iL'nioero would have to make their training part of their recreation as it should be. Speaking of his firm the merchant said it did nothing to hinder volunteering by its employes and there were some thirty volunteers in its emjiloy at present. To allow of their attending the Easter camp tho firm had permitted these men to leave the day before work ceased for the Easter holidays and return a day after it was resumed. Ho did not see that employers could be fairly called upon to pay absentees for time put in at volunteer duties but if, as lie undertook, tlie council of the defence provision gave payment to the men for time put in the contemplated parades, it should not be difficult to arrange, and speaking generally ho did not think employers would put any difficulties in tho way of the scheme.