A REPLY TO LABOR.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 January 1916, Page 5

A REPLY TO LABOR.

THE CONFERENCE'S "'' i Hi:. M/.SSEY'S STRAIGHT SPEAKING, ■""-•-" By Telegraph.—Press Aasociatiolfc Welington; List Night.. Mr. Massey made the following stats' ment to-night: '"I have re«d the manifesto of the conference called by the/ Federation of Labor, but I cannot belief* that it accurately represents the view* of those who were present. lam quit* certain that it does not represent the views of the great majority of the workers of this country, the great bulk of whom arc both practical and enthusiastic in their patriotism. That is proved by the many thousands of wage earners belonging to the Dominion woo are to-day wearing the King's uniform , and fighting for their country on %b» other Bide of the world. "I am sorry to say that, so far u I am able to judge, there is very little evi--dencc of enthusiastic patriotism in the document which waß given out M, a. result of the conference. The authom quote German made opinion which appeared in the Clarion, bitterly opposing conscription, but many articles might be quoted from the hame, paper just *o strongly on the other side of the ques*-< tioii. I saw one not long ago referring;,; to the National Register, concluding wiflil these words, 'lf bye-and-bye compulsion should become inevitable the Register, will become invaluable, and who then, if defeat and invasion threaten, will dm to oppose conscription V "I do not intend here to discuss the respective merits of either conscription, or the voluntary system, but I wonld. say to those who are responsible for the manifesto that if they want to avoid. conscription or compulsion then their* course is clear. Let them assist heartily , and enthusiastically to make tho vohnn tary system a success during the present war. Let them realise 'that the Germans ' are out to smash Britain herself and in* vade British territory overseas, and thaS< if they are to be prevented from giving effect to their intention it will be bjj every section of the community assisting, with all its heart and 'soul and strength, to defeat the common enemy in, , our own country. We know "that soch ' manifestos are of very little value, and , do not represent the opinion of mors J than a very small proportion of th».. population, but as tho newspapers fromev«ry part of the Empire reach th»: enemy a great deal of harm is done bj|; such productions encouraging tho Ger* man authorities to believe that ths>, British people are disunited with regar*<| to the war, and are longing for peace at' any price, whereas 'the contrary is the> case. The British people wer* never s»', united at apy period of their history/ as they ere now. ' "If the manifesto is intended in any, way to influence the New Zealand Gov-; i eminent it will not have the slightest effect. We know our duty, and will d«> it to ili" best of our ability. We art giving i.m' voluntary system a good trial. If it fails (and it" has not failed yet), then to do our duty as a community, there is only one alternative —compulsion, and the latter must be adopted when the time comes." >