LABOUR AND THE MILITARY SERVICE BILL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1557, 30 May 1916, Page 2

LABOUR AND THE MILITARY SERVICE BILL.

ENQUIRIES were made by a Post representative at Wellington yesterday as to the attitude that. Labour members are likely to take up on the Military Service Bill, which is likely to come up for its second reading in the House of Representatives during the next few days. Labour is not largely represented in the House, but it contains insistent elements, and the impression is growing that the small band may cause some trouble. There is, however, one member of the Labour Party who is not in harmony with jils colleagues, and In 1 gave his views on the subject. “My opinion about the Bill is this,” said Mr Veiteh, “I consider that it has become an absolute necessity, and that tliy it is brought into operation the better it will he for all parti# I .* concerned. Whatever may be the pressure of public opinion ip

any direction, the firs I duly of any member of Parliament is to use his power and influenee to ensure that the men who have gone to tin* iron! will he hacked up by the necessary reinforcements. If we were discussing the question of voluntaryism, v. eonseription in the abstract, in peace time, I would stand for the voluntary system. The question we have to decide- is whether Germany is going to win the war or not, and we mus( use every means in our power to ensure the Allies winning (he war. That is the major proposition, and I am not prepared to consider any side issues in connection with it. I recognise that (here are some Labour members who are strongly opposed to the Bill, I believe quite conscientiously, but I cannot regard the question of the defence of the Empire from a party point of view, and therefore I must claim an absolutely free hand so far as parly is concerned in (his connection. The alternative to winning this war is permanent subjection to I’russianism, which includes conscription, and every loyal British subject must recognise that if would be better to have the Bill than to face that position."