Fighting Conscription.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 31, 6 October 1911, Page 13

Fighting Conscription.

A. Sherrock Avrites from Puponga: "I haA T e canvassed this township of Puponga to get the names of those opposed to compulsory military training. I had no possibility of visiting them all, but I think that I have enough names on the petition to satisfy the greatest dunce that the people of this toAvnship are opposed to the Compulsory Military Training Act, considering that-there are 108 adults residing here, and out of that number (some of whom I did not see), 90 signed the petition." Excellent. ■" * * * Workers, lioav is it that wdien you present an anti-conscription list for your employers to sign they are as ferocious as a mad dog ? Writes a valued correspondent anen.t the Defence Act: "My oavu opinion is that the peace of the Avorld hangs r in a large measure on the' complete "smash-up" of this infamous scheme. And such a smash-up Avould be a startling object lesson to the whole, of'-civi-lisation and of oppressed humanity." ■• * a ."Billy Banjo" writes: The antimilitarist enthusiasts gathered in the Masonic Hall at Huntly on September 20, and formed a fighting league. Officers Avere elected as follows :—President, H. J. Beck; secretary, W. Builough ; treasurer, J. Thomson ; executive, Messrs. Taylor, Patterson, BlackTurton and Hunter. During the evening brief fighting addresses Avere deliA'cred by J. E. Duncan, H. J. Beck, G. Blacklock, J. Thomson, W. J. Patterson and E. Hunter. There was keen interest taken by all present, and I venture to predict that those forces Avill add their quota to the propaganda of the. international movement for peace. The meeting AA-as concluded by singing "Workers of the World, Unite," # * * Messrs. Maclrie and Christie, of Christchurch, visited Dunedin last Aveek and addressed a meeting on anti-militarism. A League Avas formed for the purpose of furthering the interests of peace. » * * At a meeting of the U.L.U., South Australia's militant Labor Union, the action of the A.M.A. against militarism was endorsed. . Thus in Australia, as in N.Z., working-class organisations are up against conscription. * * * W. Scott Bedford Avrites to "Evening Post," Wellington: — Sir, —Your leader of the Bth inst. deals with a phase of the Defence Act which I liaA-e persistently enlarged on, and as I am the only one, so far as I know, who has stated publicly,, time aud again, "that those an the ranks have little or no opportunity of ever obtaining commissioned rank," 1 trust you Avill grant mc this opportunity of stating the position clearly. In commenting upon Sir Joseph Ward's answer' to Mr. F. M. B. Fisher on this question you say: ''When the fierce democrats Avho haA r e been so violently denouncing the scheme realise that this last relic of class tyranny is no more, is it possible that they Avill mitigate the fervour of their opposition?" To this query I personally ansAver unreservedly "Yes." When I realise this, the fervour of my opposition Avill be mitigated. But I have 'not realised it yet, and for the-follow-, ing reasons: In the Defence Act, 1909, under heading Part 1., General Powers of Governor, we find: "4 (1) The Governor may from time to time make regulations, not inconsistent Avith this Act, for any of the following purposes." Sub-section (b) reads: "The enrolment, promotion, etc., of any portion or individual thereof." Noav, the provisional regulations Avhich Avere issued in 1909 provided for "the establishment of officers' training corps at the universities and high schools of the. Dominion," and Profes■son yon, Zedlitz, at ,a meeting at which Colonel Robin, C.B. (Chief of the General Staff), Lieutenant-Colonel Bauchop C.M.G., and Captain Lajscelles were present, said: "Under the scheme laid before them, they AA*ere alloAved to enter as privileged officers- instead of the ordinary rank and file." I know that these provisional regulations Avere reA r oked, but Avhen? So far as I can make out, only so recently as May 5, 1911. Do our legislators realise that they have given the Governor power under the Act to issue such palpably class regulations? Part 1., clauses 4 (1) and (b) referred to aboA r o, give the Governor this poAvcr, and as the regulations Avere issued and in force for some time aa-o must assume they were "not inconsistent with this Act." Under heading Part 111., clause 24, Aye find the only reference to the "appointment of officers," , r, This clause Avas .-.amended in the' Defence Act, 1910, OAviug to the repeal of., section 12, and uoav reads: (1) All commissioned .officers in the Territorial Force shall be appointed by the Governor on the recommendation of the Commandant. (2) Before any person so: recommended is granted a. commission, he shall, Avitbin the time prescribed, pass an examination, and if he fails so to do the Board of Selection shall again consider the case for further recommendation." Here avo haA-e the crux of the Avhole position: The "favoured" -.ones are first selected, and then given a chance to qualify. What causes them to be recommended if they have not passed examinations? A Defence Act entitled to the slightest respect would have al-loAA-cd all avlio Avisiied to qualify as officers to sit for examinations, and more especially an Act Avhich compels ■all to- train. Under these conditions, under the conditions of either the old or the neAV "provisional" regulations, the son of the poor man has the same chance-of a commission as the "camel to go through the eye of a needle." — I am, etc,., W.-~"SeOTT. BEDFORD, President Wellington Branch AntiCon scris'i ion League. i l Sept. 12, 1911\ I