Passive Resisters, Protest to Parliament.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 80, 20 September 1912, Page 6

Passive Resisters , Protest to Parliament.

REASONS AGAINST MILITARY DETENTION.

This circular letter has been sent to every member of the Dominion Parliament :— Sir,—As it appears that Parliament intends to continue punishing us for doing what we conscientiously believe t<i be right, or more correctly, for refusing to do what we know to be. wrong, we desire to state our position on, and objections to, the legislation proposed by t'ho,jj\linistor of Defence. (Hon. Jas. Allen). , ~ The proposal mentioned i.< the establishment of military barracks for detention. Up to tlie present, owing to the lack of an adequate conscience clause, we have been forced to disobey our country's laws, and it appears evident, unless drastic alterations are made, that w will still have to adopt the same unpleasant attitude. Holding this belief, w<; —the most interested party, the persons who have to endure the punishment'—wish to protest and stnte. our reasons against the particular punishment sought to be imposed. Bripfly, our reasons are as follows: Detention in a military barrack prison was formerly the method adopted to punish offenders and defaulters in the, British Army, but owing to the exposure of their actions, and the public indignation aroused thereby, the name was changed to military detention barracks.

This was done to remove the stigma of jail attaching thereto, but we Jiave good reasons for believing that simply changing the name to military detention barracks has not lessened the cruolj ties perpetrated therein ovi the unfortunates sent there. Australia has tried j the system, and is now trying to adopt ! New Zealand's system of fines for avfu- [ sal to serve. Our first objection thereJ fore, is that detention barracks have been tried and proved a failure. Secondly, we object to the proposal, because under it we will be forced to do that) which we have suffered jail for refusing to do—i.e., will by sheer physical force make us do military drill. Thirdly, it is too expensive, Detention barracks will have tobe builfc in various places nt considerable expense, and a largo staff of officers paid to force unwilling hoys to drill. Fourthly, we believe Parliament, should seek to amend or repeal the Act, thus abolishing the need for punishment. We have refused to obey the Defence Act because we cannot conscientiously comply with it, and we must state that in future, if the compulsory clauses are not repealed, wn will again willingly bear the punishment ; but we trust that if yon f-n}} intend + f> punish up. it will Hp 35 at present rather than detention in a military prison, alias military detention barracks. —Yours, etc , F. HOOPER, Hon. s«. C.'P.E-U. September e>4912.