WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 8, Issue 57, 7 March 1916, Page 3

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

AN URGENT APPEA I

NOTHING ELSE MATTERS',

(Special Correspondent)

WELLINGTON, March 3. The Prime Minister 's latest appea for recruits for the remaining Rein

forcemeats is so urgent, so iusiste indeed, that anything in the way <

captions criticism ought to be set aside in an earnest effort to ensure the Dominion doing its full duty to the Empire in the present unparalleled cri sis. Mr. Massey’s stirring words have been read by this time all over the country and their meaning and significance can be missed by no one who gives a thought to the great outstanding need of the hour.

‘‘M e have reached the stage who:

nothing matters except winning the great war in which we are engaged and which means everything to us. The moment has come for those- to whom enlistment is not absolutely impossible to choose between duty and honour on the one side and the ignoring of both on the other.” These are words which no man in Mr. Massey’s position, knowing the facts as the Prime Minister must know them, would use lightly on such an occasion as this, and they must be taken at their face value and accepted as a clarion call to the _ whole manhood of the nation. To the man of military age there is no alternative to

active service—“nothing matters except winning the Groat War’ ’—and to the man beyond military age, to the less fortunate members of the community, there remains the privilege of prompt and cheerful sacrifice.

THE LAST MAN AND THE LAST

SHILLING,

All this, of course, is . obvious. "The last man and the last shilling” is the measure of New Zealand’s devotion to the Empire and it will not be 'lessened by one jot whatever the future may bold for its people. But there is a feeling abroad hero, shared by even sane and sober ecmmercia l men, that the Government ought to make better provision for the soldiers it is sending to the war and their dependents. If the moment has come for everyone to whom enlistment is not impossible to offer his services, and no one doubts the literal accuracy of Mr. Massey’s words, then, the sane and sober patriots argue, the time has come for wealth to make its fair contribution towards the maintenance of the men who are fighting its battles. It is admitted that Parliament did something in this direction last session by increasing the income tax and requiring the farmers to yield up some part of their profits; but is is conf-

0(1, still by the sane and sober patriots, that it did not do enough. The private who goes to the war gets 5/ a nay, whether lie is married or not, and if he happens to have a wife lie receives 1/ a day extra by way of separation allowance, while if he is blessed with children Gd for each of them under 16 years of age, up to the maximum number of four, is added to his pay. This means that the man with a

wife and four children is able to ec 8/ a day, Sundays, happily, included, and that if he can manage himself on 1/ a day he may leave his wife with £2 9/ for the expenses of the whop household-—feeding, clothing, sheltering, doctoring, and the rest.

NOTHING ELSE MATTERS,

In excusing the smallness of the separation allowance the other day, the Minister for Defence said he did not wish to make any special appeal to married men just then; but now the Prime- 1 Minister urges that every man "to whom enlistment is not absolutely impossible” is wanted. Married men are no longer excused and can no longer excuse themselves. "Nothing else matters.” They are to give up home and position and prospects and everything else that mattered in time of I peace and take their place in the lighting line. The call is urgent, insistent, and cannot be disregarded by any man who wishes to preserve his own self-re-spect and the respect of his fellow Numbers of husbands have volunteered without waiting for this special call and numbers of wives are now living on less than half the income they p

viously enjoyed. But many other h

bands are held back by what they co ceive to be their duty to their families There may be a hundred good reasons

hy they cannot- ask their wives to

make the sacrifices th e other heroic women have made, and these reasons, everyone agrees, ought not to be Ignored by the State. No social distinctions can be made in such a matter as this, but every married man sent to the war should be assured of the welfare of his family during his absence. This is the line of argument being pressed home by the newspapers and the poli-

ticians to-day. The State has not nearly, exhausted its resources in (be way of equitable taxation and it is the bounden duty of Parliament to see that ample provision is made for the dependents left behind. This is not a question of party, but of high national principle, and the Prime Minister and the Minster for Defence are not the men to turn a deaf car to the representations that are being made to them.

THE WATERSIDE WORKERS

The further negotiations between

the representatives cf the ship-owners and the waterside workers, which were

made necessary by a number of the larger Unions rejecting the agreement drafted by the conference held here a few weeks ago, wore practically concluded yesterday. Tbe proceedings have boon cf entirely friendly character throughout, both sides evidently being anxious to secure an amicable settlement cf their differences, and it is hoped by the delegates that the revised agreement will be accepted by the whole of the Unions. The bone of

contention, if sucli'a phrase is permissible in connection with such a harmonious gathering, ’ was the ••M.O o ’clock clause, ’ ’ which required the mew to work after 10 p.m. under certain circumstances. The clause has been re-drafted and in its present form ought to allow the business of the ports to proceed without causing any groat inconvenience to the Unions nr

doing any serious violence to the con-

scienc e -of the workers. The dologates j all bear testimony to the good effect the negotiations have had upon the relations between the parties. "We have got to understand one-' another’s point of view better,” is the gratified comment of on e Union secretary, "and to see what is right and practicable. ’ ’ The better understanding is a good augury for a Pong continuance of industrial peace.