The Daily News. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1916. THE FEDERAL REFERENDUM.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 October 1916, Page 4

The Daily News. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1916. THE FEDERAL REFERENDUM.

The result of the Australian Referendum j on ;l;e Conscription issue, if not a great ] surprise, is certainly none the less unwelcome. We are sometimes apt to ( look upon Commonwealth affairs in . much the same way as we viev? Dominion matters, but the extent of the difference that exists can be fairly a;curately estimated by the influences that have been at- work to produce an anti-conscription majority in Australia of between eighty and ninety thousand votes. As the votes of the Australian soldiers in France, England, Egypt, Rabaul, and any other locality w'mx they may be stationed, have yet to be accounted for, and as there are far more than sufficient of these to turn the scale if the majority are in the affirmative, it is not yet possible to say that conscription has been turned down. At the same time, it is d's'inotfy unsatisfactory to find that so big<> a proportion of the people now riu'.-it-nt in Australia should have put their foot down on the only reliable mea'-is of keeping the strength of tha Federal forces at the front up to the recitiind strength—and this after the heroic and glorious deeds of the men who lift Australia to serve the Empire, fully trusting in a continuous flow of comrades to fill the ranks and maintain the forces at full strength. What cau be said of those who not only refuse to volunteer themselves, but put up a barrier to prevent compulsory servica beiny operative? There are, it is well known, large bodies of determined men in the Commonwealth who would go to any lengths to resist conscription, and to still greater lengths to resist it if it lecamo law. Politics, organise! labci. the propaganda of the 1.W.W., shirkers' growing antipathy to tin lYuesal Premier, and the pro-German element have all contributed to the large vct-3 against conscription. Theoretically voluntaryism is, or should be, all sufficient, which means that any ono v.ho pleases may volunteer but the manses will abstain. It is the old stciy of the monkey and the chestnuts. Surely Australia cannot be weary of we'i doing, while the rest of the unitn of the Empire are putting forth greater cfl'aits and making nobler sacrifices than ever. Discussing the conscription issue on the eve of the poll, the "Bulletin" IFaici: "The German armies and the armies ot the.'AUies know nothing about Australian politicians. They know Australian soldiers. , . . The real question that Australians have to answer in. Shall we be the first to quit?" The answer that has so far been given is in the affirmative, though it is to be sincerely hoped that the soldiers' votes will turn the scale in the other direction Ever, then it is more than likely that I the determined opposition of the anilcfins'.riptionists willmako conscription difficult, if not impossible. Meanwhile the j.osition is that Australian reinforcements should be coming forward to the extent of 16,000 a month, yet under the voiuritary system she has of late be;;i i.t)f.Wc to secure half that number—and this at a time when every man who a is i-i'gible is needed more urgently than ■ ever. The people must have been wosfiill* misled or such an adverse vote, woi.ld not have been possible. It is a striking but jarring commentary on the recast utterances of the Federal Premier while in England. We can only J deplore Australia's action, and trust that all will come right in the end, if e bertfr and wiser counsels arc allowed to prevail. Time passes, and supreme efforts should be made to keep up t'« reinforcements by voluntaryism. It is almcst unthinkable that Australia i should be found wanting in this world crisis. -/