“DON’T BE A CONSCRIPT.”

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1004, 8 February 1912, Page 4

“DON’T BE A CONSCRIPT.”

ATTEMPT TO BURN DOWN military QUARTERS.

Christchurch, Feb. 5.

The authorities at the Christchurch district military headquarters office, in Montreal street, were considerably annoyed this morning to find that the fences surrounding the office and King Edward Barracks had been placarded with copies of a printed manifesto urging all and sundry to oppose conscription, and with a number of small square “stickers,” bearing such mottoes as “Don’t be a conscript; be a man !” “Men, not pimps,” and “The military strike is now on.” The stickers bore no imprint, and were evidently made with a rubber stamp or a very amateurish printing press, but a more elaborate manifesto, in addition to bearing the imprint of a local printing firm, bore the signatures of nine persons. In addition to these demonstrations of disapproval of the compulsory clauses of the Defence Act, a mild attempt at incendiarism was made at the barracks last night. Shortly after 10 o’clock the fire brigade was called out, and the outbreak was speedily checked. An examination made this morning by a reporter showed that a small fire had been started iu an alleyway between the street fence of the barracks and one of the old wooden orderly room buildings. The fire had been so quickh quelled that it had barely scorched the paint at the bottom of the weatherboards.