PEACE AND WAR.

Rodney and Otamatea Times, Waitemata and Kaipara Gazette, Volume 1, Issue 18, 26 July 1901, Page 2

PEACE AND WAR.

A strong anti-military speech was madeby Mr. Hutcheson in the House last week while the State School Children Compulsory Drill BU was under . discussion. Mr. T. McKenzie had re marked that the only;week point in the measure was that it allowed childrou to be exempted from drill if their ' parents or guardians objected to their undergoine instruction.. This brought the senior member for Wellington fo '. his feet with a forcible protest against »uch a proposal. New Zealand had, he said undergone a period of two years wild /military debauchery, and . a man was not safe in giving expression to his views, the country being overshadowed by the fiend of militarism 1 which had been propagated and fost-j " ered by the Premier, whe had roused ft' the country to a spirit of Continental1 1 militarism. He held (that deliberate, • organised warfare was murder, and ! he deprecated the grafting on to this 'icolony of the militarism of France and 'j Germ any, urging that until the 1 necessity arrived they should teach s j their children the art of peace. Why, >he asked, should anyone, except a 3 man blind by the spiri* of Jingoism and militarism, enunciate such proposal before sane men? Tho Primier f'replied in an equally strong speech, ft only on opposite lines. He was no E responsible for tho present position. ' c jhe Ball it was imbred in the people [..who would not quietly allow continuet.Jlyp.nd insul> to be heaped upon then 1, fis the hon, gentleman led them to be iVieve "they wo. E.. People holdin. sto-EMons such as >t Ti liutch-jaou di< ■ : ./ r-: owe their present E' *Eon • b

Ukose ttljo had xc mlli £?•.;■,)> tatfitfiftg < 1:wj5.0 would •*»>n^. quietly by fijid. ft Jo>v ti":ei.r Gountrj to h\? inaulto-4, Mi jEuichef-on opposed send:»{g troop.st [South A.ivi-.n-m-(llv, Hufc?i?3onp»i(;ke a^a'.cst it)-—hut if t\xey toqif liis pA .ioe thc^- would po yipc-il off tl|e fac of ih^i ' eflirth as a nati n. Militar; f.t'amu»g iajpr/ivfid theiv i<ia 7ilioo*an< strengthened ir:s position and no cn< sJioukl take oxcepi,'pu to it,