MILITARY TRAINING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 19, 17 July 1911, Page 5

MILITARY TRAINING.

DEPUTATION TO HON. G. FOWLDS. By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, Saturday. A deputation from the Society of Friends waited on the Hon. George Fowlds and asked that some provision he made whereby they might be relieved of all the military duty in connection. with the defence scheme. The speakers said it was totally against their principles to take part in anything connected with war. They declared that they would sooner leave New Zealand and would not hesitate to emigrate if the provisions of the existing law were insisted upon. They did not wish to be regarded as unpatriotic, but they positively refused to become part of the military paraphernalia. It was suggested that they might be considered to conform to the law by joining some such society as an ambulance society. The Minister expressed sympathy with the deputation on a matter ol conscientious objections. He had thought himself to obtain the insertion of a clause in the Act, providing for noncombatants and their duties, but it was understood that the Government's own ambulance corps would fill all requirements on this head. He did not know whether military camps would be necessary, and there might be some modification in uniform, but the system of universal training had been consented to by the country and could not be disorganised by making any exemptions. If the "Friends" were allowed unlimited exemption their society would become so enlarged by people wishing to escape military training that the whole position would become a farce. He promised to see what could be done.

AN OBSTINATE BOY AND PARENT. Wellington, Saturday. Cornish, the father of the boy recently fined £4 and costs for having failed to register under the Defence Act, informs the press that the boy has lieen arrested and will have to serve 21 days in gaol. Cornish said his son was only one out of 13,000 who had not registered. A league had been formed in Brooklyn, and all the youths in it were prepared to go to gaol rather than comply with the law. Cornish says that his son's workmates collected the amount of the fine, but the lad refused to allow it to be paid, and had gone to gaol for his principles. It may be mentioned once again that going to goal does not relieve the offenders from the necessity of registering, and they can be fined ad. lib. till they do register.