The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE MONDAY, AUGUST 28th, 1916. “MILITARY SERVICE ACT.”

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 160, 28 August 1916, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

MONDAY, AUGUST 28th, 1916. “MILITARY SERVICE ACT.”

(With which is incorporated The Tai hapt> Post and Waimarino News.)

No Act cf Parliament passed lasr session is going to give as much dissatisfaction in certain quarters as the Military Service Act. Why should such an Act he resented by any but those who it was that made It neeessary? Let its opposers call it what they will, by what slogan they care, when the verbiage is cleared away it remains clearly a measure that was enacted to compel shirkers to do thenduty. A life that is born into a country becomes a part of that country and must be given in its preservation if needs be. B’ut who is it that objects to fight or render any other service in driving back the enemy that would dispossess him of his birthright and enslave him? We find he is one or a noisy few who are everlastingly selfseeking' in the name of the legitimate worker. He is an individual who battens himself on to the class he insists by thinking he can cozen and cajole them into his way of thinking. Sometimes we find him a man of enemy ex traction who has no sympathy witn the land of his adoption, and is willing to hand it over to that from which he sprang. Be that as it may, the Military Service Act came into existence because it was necessary; because some men would not, through cowardice or a worse cause, do thenduty. They would callously live at home in luxury while their brother c ountrymen wore fighting their battles for them, 'giving up their lives in so doing. ,They oppose what they call Conscription in loud-sounding words; they talk about, liberty, but it is obvious they use the word in a profane sense. True, it is very little use to ciia cuss the pros and cons of compulsory service now; it is the law of the land and we must all obey that law or suffer the penalties it proscribes. Search arguments and contentions as one will, he finds that opposers of the Mili tary Service Act do not advance one good and valid, cr even sensible, argument against \L We find a large amount of abuse about what it mayultimately become after the war is over, but that is altogether beside the question now. What is of supreme importance is to win the war; we can very well leave discussion A its after math till the only proper time. We are

living in must extraordinary times, a» d it would be surprising it wo did not encounter and. uavn u submit to extraordinary measures, taken in an endeavour to get back to the normal. What is called Conscription law is not necessarily conscription. The Military Service Act is the Government’s last word in assuring the people that, men are not coming forward as they should do, and that the time has come when reminder with law behind it is really necessary to avoid any break in despatching troops it is supremely urgent should continue to leave this land to support those who have gone before them, now that the work of driving back the enemey to his own country has commenced. Every man not less . than 20 and under 46 years of age [ must register, and must do it in the 1 proscribed time —the First Division | by September 15th, and the Second by ; the 16th—so as to render it certain this country’s obligations to the Motherland and to our Allies are made good. It is only those who do not register, and make default when called upon, that can be subjected to conscription in its fullest sense. Such defaulters will experience what their forbears may have gone through as the “press gang’’ laid hands upon them in the name of the King and bore them off to fight, with very little preparation or instruction in defending themselves. Nothing here written should be regarded as a discussion or the Military Service Act, because that is now the law of the land, and it is our duty and obligation, as well as every other man’s duty and obligation, to obey it to the last letter. Our object is to draw attention to the law so that all may know what their obligations under the law are. The Defence Department has already advertised that proclamations will be made on the first September respecting enrolment, and also intimated that details will be advertised in newspapers and by posters right throughout the land. None may plead ignorance, because the onus .of proof is thrown on any who do not comply. All information and documents are obtainable at post offices, where assistance required will be rendered. Time for regrets about the war is past, and the Empire is now exerting its full financial and man power in the determination to winning it. Thoughts of a German victory can have no place in the mind of any true Britisher.