ABOUT CONSCRIPTION.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 December 1915, Page 5

ABOUT CONSCRIPTION.

TOO MUCH PESSIMISM. (Prom Our Own Correspondent.) Wellington, Dee. 'l4. Some people are talking aa thoqgfc nothing but the immediate adoption of conscription could save the DomSjoioii from failing to keep its engagements to the Army authorities. tfiese persons are running too fast altogether. New. Zealand is not in the least likely to goi at a stride from the present hspluucud voluntary system to compulsory servioe. It will be remembered that after th« publication of the first figure* *~ l "n from the National Register the Deftoco Minister outlined a new scheme of nBruiting based upon the Register ant intended to appeal directly toi tib various classes of men who had stated in the war census forms their willing, ness to join the expeditionary iqroM, The preparation of such a scheme, wfaidl will be worked through the local authorities on the lines of the highly efficient recruiting system adopted in Ireland, has been undertaken and one m»*predict confidently that it will be given < full trial. »:

The sole event that would be likely to bring about the immediate adoption of universal, compulsory service inthia .country would be an admission of the failure of voluntary service ana tho adoption of conscription in the Mother Country. If the Imperial authorities led the way New Zealand might follow quickly. But the cablegram* indicate; that the voluntary system has not yet failed at Home. The position then will become cleared within thp next day or ,two.

A clear understanding of what com scription would mean in this country ap- i pears to be lacking on the part of aom« people who have discussed the (object. There would be no summoning of the whole able-bodied traale population for immediate service.. The men Would 1» elassiied according to their dependent*! as they have been already on the National Register. Then exemption ■would be made in the cases of wpdcen engaged in certain industries, which must be maintained during the'duration of the war. Then the men would be allocated to months, the single men - without dependents being called on first. A rota would be prepared for many .months ahead, so that every man might know when his turn was going to come. The lists would be open for everybody's inspection long before the time came for the men to begin their training,