Fighting Conscription.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 66, 14 June 1912, Page 7

Fighting Conscription.

At a nw.vr, meeting of the CkrirLchurch branch of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers the following motion was carried; —"This branch ci. tlie Amalgamated Society of Engineers views with abhorrence and alarm tho vast strides towards militarism which have been taken by this Dominion during the past 12 months as a result of the enforcement of the Defence Acts. IIKW-10. It appeals to all thoughtful citizens to do their utmost to stem this drift into barbarism and to call for the repeal of the Acts. Being j?i sympathy with the aims of the National Peace Council of Sow Zealand it agrees to appoint two delegates to the Couiu-iJ in Christchurch." # * * - The big number of people who are sgainst the defence scheme and tho little number of people who are in favor of it arc unanimous on on*' point, and that is, the enormous expense it is to the country. The radical says there is only one way to finance (( —absolutely only one way — and that is to tax the. large land-own-er for it: if we can't keep it that way we ought to give it a good chuck overboard. To tax a man to keep ur. conscription for a country in which he doesn't own an acre is sheer robbery for you are taxing him for what he does not possess (indirectly), and surely it's only the essence of an ass who. would sit down to that. * * « The Wellington branch of the AniiComscription League will hold a tic cling in the Socialist Hall, Mann.;s street, to-night. * * * The Australian Freedom League. which aims at the abolition of the compulsory clauses of the Common won !h Defence Act, has issued the following notice:—"We hereby notify tho public that in working for th,_. repeal of the compulsory clauses of ihe Defence, Act, we are in no sense attacking tho Labor Government as such, not wishing to place obstacles in their way. We regard the leaders of both parties as equally to blame for the contents of these clauses. We invite members of both parlies to join us, and work for their repeal.—Signed (on behalf of the League), John W. Harry, lion, sec." * * * Winston Churchill varies the eld aphorism somewhat disastrously, and says that the best way to make Avar impossible is to make victory certain. If every nation is to bo victorious in Avar, A\liere will the losers eomo from'? The best Avay to make Avar impossible is to take capitalists out of the business, and sack their employees, viz., kings, "statesmen," and newspaper editors. Jail these persons, and tho people Avnuld not slay one another, and squander hundreds of millions a war on engines of war.—"Westralian Worker." The Full Court of New South Waks set aside tho magistrate's conviction of All. Giles, of Broken Hill who was lined .CHHJ and subsequently imprisoned for non-payment of tho fine—on a, charge of preventing his son from attending drills. The grounds for the reversal Avere, that there Avas no evidence to show any objection to drill on the day named, and the wrongful admission of certain evidence.