THE NEW RECRUITING SCHEME.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1510, 15 February 1916, Page 3

THE NEW RECRUITING SCHEME.

COUNCIL REFUSES TO ASSIST. CONSCRIPTION FAVOURED. At last night’s Borough Council meeting a circular letter was read from the Recruiting Board (the Prime Minister. Sir Joseph Ward, and Hon. James Allen), outlining the new scheme and asking the Council’s support. The Mayor said he had seen no reason to change the opinion he had expressed at the last Council meeting that it was the duty of the country to bring in a Bill lor compulsory service. We had now got to the stage where it was found that the voluntary system had failed, and compulsion was necessary. A great many local bodies from one end of New Zealand to the other, had passed resolutions tavouring compulsion, and he was confident that these resolutions expressed the opinion of the great majority of the population of the Dominion, In not bringing in a Bill for compulsion, the Government was shirking its duty. A suggestion was made that public meetings for recruiting purposes should be held, but he was of opinion that these meetings were of no use. The people whom it was desired to get at did not, and would not, attend. He had no confidence whatever in the new scheme, and could see no reason how personal interviews would make any difference to a man who had not enlisted. He moved; That this Council is still of opinion that the Government should bring compulsory service into force in this Dominion, and for that reason decline to have anything to do with the proposed recruiting scheme so that national service may soon come to be a law of the country. The motion was seconded by Cr Stevenson.

Cr Henderson said he quite agreed with the motion. He would like to see badges distributed to those who had enlisted and had been rejected, and also to returned soldiers.

Cr Whibley said he also had seen no reason to change the opinions he had expressed at the last Council meeting. It seemed to him that the movers of the motion did not wish to give the voluntary system a fair run —but wanted to turn it down immediately. The National Register clearly 'proved that there were plenty of men available if required, and no doubt a great majority of these would enlist if interviewed. The new scheme should be given a trial. From the commencement of the war we had been told that we were fighting conscription, and if one looked back through history he would find that the country that adopted conscription for defence afterwards used it for aggression, and we did not know, if we adopted it for defence on this occasion, whether we in after years would not also use it for aggression. France was the first country to bring conscription into force, first for defence. In 1813 Napoleon used it for aggression—and in addition to adopting it in France, he also put it into operation in each country he conquered. Later on, in IS7O, Germany adopted conscription for defence against France, and during that war leading men in England expressed the hope that Germany would be successful, and thus bring French militarism to an end. And now in the present war we find Germany a dopting the same system for aggression. This, the greatest war the world has ever seen, was caused through conscription, and we should oppose Its adoption at the present time. The Mayor, in reply, said that Cr Whibley had overlooked the point that conscription was in force in Great Britain many years ago—in the time of the Press Gang. The voluntary system had been tried in England on this occasion and had failed, and a Compulsory Service Bill had been passed. A great drawback of the voluntary system was the fact that withj it the best of the country’s manhood was going to the front, leaving the cowards and shirkers behind. A great many of those who had gone would not come back, and others would return maimed and broken men. If the present system were continued it would mean that a large part of coming generations would be the descendants of cowards and shirkers. The voluntary system was not fair. The motion, on being put, was carried.

to volunteer would not attend a meeting. The Mayor ot Levin, as a deputation from the Levin Borough Council, said that his council had agreed to help the scheme and back up the Government. He would like to know how they could co operate to carry the scheme into effect.

The chairman said they would do all they could to assist, but it was the Councii's opinion that the time had come for compulsion. He thought personal canvass was the best way to carry out the work. It would be better than holding public meetings. Councillor Kebbell moved that the Recruiting Board be informed that the Council will do all It can to help the voluntary scheme. At the same time it is very strongly of the opinion that the lime had arrived when conscription should be used to obtain the necessary men to keep up the reinforcements, and that a copy of this resolution be sent to Recruiting Board, the Levin Borough Council, and the Otaki Town Board.

Councillor Cately thought the Government was on the wrong track. There were young men in bis district who, despite the fact that the young women had told them that they would not be seen with them, had said they would only go when dragged. It would be no use approaching them. He seconded the motion.

The motion was carried. The members of the Wirokiuo Riding were set up as a committee to join the Borough Council in reference to the scheme in this 'district.—Chronicle.