Compulsory national service

The opening of the boating season on the Avon River, Christchurch on October 23. - Otago Witness,...
The opening of the boating season on the Avon River, Christchurch on October 23. - Otago Witness, 3.11.1915.
A well-attended special meeting of the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce, presided over by Mr J. B. Waters (vice-president), in the unavoidable absence of the president (Mr G. W. Gibson), passed a unanimous resolution yesterday in favour of compulsory national service in connection with the present war.

Many of Dunedin's most prominent citizens were present.

In opening the meeting, which was specially called to consider the question, the Chairman said that the business men who had attended the meeting of employers addressed by the Minister of Defence recently had not had an opportunity of expressing their views on the subject of compulsory service.

It had been decided, therefore, that a special meeting of the chamber should be called for the purpose.

The question was one of the most momentous that could be considered at the present time whether the present voluntary system was adequate for obtaining sufficient national strength.

No disparagement was intended to the National Government or the recruiting committees by the calling of the meeting.

The New Zealand Government, and particularly the Defence Department, had done wonders.

But there was a growing conviction that the present system was unfair, haphazard, and inadequate, and they had met to give expression to their opinion on the matter.

It had been said that no meeting of citizens had a right to embarrass the Government by asking more than the Government could grant.

But the public were far more likely to embarrass the Government by being silent than by expressing their views on the matter.

It had also been said that the time was inopportune to discuss the question till the voluntary system had broken down, but, personally, he thought it would be unwise to wait till any system had broken down before instituting another.

The quality of sacrifice was wanted in the British people.

Unless Britain could match her self-sacrifice and endurance with that shown by Germany she could not hope to win, and, indeed, did not deserve to win.

• Representatives of dairy companies engaged in the manufacture of cheese and the cheese trade met in Wellington to-day to discuss the decision of the Imperial Government to requisition one-third of the output of all New Zealand factories for army purposes.

The intentions of the Government were explained by the head of the Imperial Supply Committee (Mr R. Triggs), who has the arrangements in hand.

The decision of the conference were reported later to the Prime Minister, who this evening informed a reporter that representatives of the cheese industry had assured him that they were ready to accept the arrangements made by the Imperial authorities, and to co-operate in any way in their power in order to make the scheme a success.

They were securing at the present time a higher price than they were to be paid by the Board of Trade, but they would not raise that point; they would set that consideration aside and do their duty to the Empire.

• All the new settlers on the Mareweka Estate are now on their holdings (says the Oamaru Mail).

Fencing is nearing completion, and a number have commenced building operations.

A good deal of ploughing has been done, and generally the settlers have made full use of their time in getting their sections into working order.

Stocking up has been going on, and it is estimated that the estate is already carrying well over 3000 head of sheep.

The country is looking well and feed, considering the season, is wonderfully good. - ODT, 10.11.1915.

 


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