The Case Against Con scription.

Huntly Press and District Gazette, Volume 4, 10 December 1915, Page 3

The Case Against Con scription.

PUBLIC MEETING. A Public Meeting was held in the Miners’ Union Hall on Wednesday evening last, to enable Mr Jas. Thorne to give his views on the case against conscription. The hall was fairly well filled by an audience which gave a patient hearing to the speaker. Mr G. Aspinall occupied the Chair. The speaker made use of the usual arguments against conscription, but failed to be very convincing except to those who wanted to be convinced. In referring to 34000 odd who had intimated their determination to take no part either civil or military in the War, he was understood to say that some of those who had refused to take part, were women, and the returns were nothing to go by. When asked who had commenced the War, he gave an evasive answer, and when pressed, and asked whether he admitted that Germany was responsible for the War, answered “ No.” Another question was : Seeing you advocate democracy, will you in the event of the 190,009 odd volunteers on the register, and in the event of their being called up, and more men are required will you volunteer ? “No.” Then you are no democrat. A motion against conscription was proposed, but eventually was allowed to drop.