AUSTRALIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 May 1916, Page 5

AUSTRALIA.

CONSCRIPTION IN THE AIR. ■■■&*..■'}< . . Abates in parliament. .. Melbourne, May 11. f ;V Both Houses lengthily debated conscription, without arriving at a finality. Mr.'Cook attacked the Government for not adopting- compulsion, and queried *the statement that there had been a njaxtaum effort of output, when 120,000 single men had refused to enlist. He believed that a referendum would result in an overwhelming vote in favor of compulspry service. Mr. Higgs stated that the Government had information which it was unable to disclose. This information had been given to members at a secret meeting on the previous evening. Mr.' Catts advocated a secret session to discuss the situation without restriction of the Senate. Mr. Millen deprecated comparisons between the efforts of the various dominfflne. The most convincing argument was the demonstration that more men were needed. Britain had found it necessary to-aidopt compulsion and he belitved Australia had exhausted the possibilities of the Voluntary system. Therefore he was of opinion that Australia must, resort to compulsion. Mr. Pearce stated that though he had not been officially informed by the Imperial authorities that conscription was* anticipated, he anticipated that as soon as the Conscription Bill passed the British {parliament all English- residents abroad would automatically be called up. Those resident here would probably be given the option of enlisting in- the Australian forces or travelling to England and enlisting there. TRADES HALL VIEWS. /

Melbourne, May 12. in the House, of.Representatives the conscription, debate was continued.

Mr. Brennan, bitterly opposing it, said that conscription would be worse than defeat.

At the Trades Hall Congress the mo. tion to declare a general strike in the event of conscription was defeated. It was agreed to take a referendum of unionists on the question. The motion cabled yesterday was submitted recording detestation of conscription, which would introduce vile means by which labor would be overawed by eapital, affirming that the voluntary system would'supply sufficient men and calling on the Government to increase privates' Tpay to' TOa a day and appropriate for war purposes all rents, interests, profits, and other incomes in excess of the equivalent pay of a private, was withdrawn.

A motion was carried recording uncompromising , hostility to conscription and calling on the Government to conscript, wealth in the first place. In lieu of one-fifth of all property and assets over £3OO in value should be eonscripted during the war and all income in excess of £3OO per annum appropriated. REPATRIATION OP SOLDIERS. Melbourne, May 12. In the Senate the Soldiers' Repatriation- Bill was introduced. The Government intends asking Parliament to vote •£250,000 towards the fund* JLABOR CONFERENCE DENOUNCED. Melbourne, May 12. in the House of Representatives, Mr. Cook denounced the Labor Conference's activity in war time and stated that . Ministers degraded themselves by attending and being censured. SHIRES ASSOCIATION AND COM- • PULSION. ■ l Sydney, May 12. The Shires Association Conference carttUd a motion in favor of conscription. A motion suggesting the electoral disqualification of shirkers was defeated.