CONSCRIPTION.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 March 1916, Page 6

CONSCRIPTION.

PRIME MINISTER'S REPLY TO : ELTHAJL Mr. C. A. Wilkinson, M.P., in his rapacity as member for Egmont, forwarded I to the Prime Minister (Mr. Massey) a copy of the resolution on conscription that was passed at the public meeting 1 1 held in Eltham last week. The Prime j Minister has sent the following reply:—l "I have received your letter of' the 7th inst., forwarding copy of a resolution passed at a meeting of married men at the Eltham Town Hall on the Gth inst., with respect to compulsion. "I may say that the Recruiting Board I has received many similar expressions i of opinion, but it cannot help thinking that in most cases this course is being urged without due thought and consideration being given to all the issues inI volved in this momentous question. I [ can assure you that this matter has | I been very carefully considered by the i I'National Government, and that "there ! were weighty reasons which influenced Cabinet in deciding to continue the vol- I untary system of enlistment, i "I would point out to you that the j personal canvass and the Board's scheme ' , are designed not only to secure the flow j of recruits necessary to keep our expeditionary force at full strength, but I also to enable the information containI ed in the National Register to be re- | liahly checked, so that due provision I may he made not only for an equitable j adjustment of the quotas allotted to each military district, but for any conj tingency of the future. In fact, this I work of personal canvass is in itself an I absolutely necessary preliminary to any system of compulsion, should the time ever arrive to bring it into force. I would ask the citizens of Eltham who passed tjjis resolution you have for- '• warded to me to carefully consider that aspect of the matter. I "The Recruiting Board earnestly asks j that the personal canvass should not be relaxed until every man of military age i who is on the Register or who should j be on the Register has been accounted , | for. This does not necessarily mean j that every man who has been approach- , ed has enlisted or offered to do so, be- ' ! cause the Board quite recognises that j there are many men with family and ; ; other obligations who are not yet call- | ed upon to serve. But it is in the interests of these men themselves that the Board should have all the information concerning them that is now lockl ed up in the National Register under > the seal of confidence imposed liv stn- ; tute. That, is the reason • why local , authorities have been asked to organise [ and supervise the work of the personal i | canvass in their districts, as it can only i he done bv those who possess the knovv- ■ ledge of local men and conditions. 1 W. F. MASSEY, ' Chairman of Recruiting Board."