1 . ▁Le aving ▁school ▁at ▁ 1 2 , ▁B ax ter ▁worked ▁on ▁a ▁farm ▁and ▁became ▁Head ▁Pl ough man ▁at ▁Glad bro ok ▁Station . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 9 – 1 9 0 2 ▁Second ▁Bo er ▁War ▁New ▁Zealand ▁sent ▁troops ▁to ▁help ▁the ▁British . ▁B ax ter ▁considered ▁en list ing , ▁but ▁heard ▁a ▁Dun ed in ▁lawyer , ▁possibly ▁Alfred ▁Richard ▁Bar cl ay , ▁speak ▁about ▁pac if ism ▁before ▁he ▁did ▁so ▁and ▁decided ▁against ▁en list ing . ▁He ▁read ▁pac if ist ▁and ▁anti - mil it ary ▁literature , ▁forming ▁a ▁Christian ▁Social ist ▁view . ▁B ax ter ▁also ▁heard ▁Ke ir ▁Hard ie ▁speak ▁during ▁his ▁ 1 9 0 8 ▁visit ▁to ▁New ▁Zealand ▁and ▁concluded ▁that ▁war ▁would ▁not ▁solve ▁problems . ▁He ▁convinced ▁six ▁of ▁his ▁seven ▁brothers ▁that ▁war ▁was ▁wrong . ▁ ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁ ▁Cons cription ▁With ▁the ▁introduction ▁of ▁cons cription ▁under ▁the ▁Military ▁Service ▁Act ▁ 1 9 1 6 , ▁B ax ter ▁and ▁his ▁brothers ▁refused ▁to ▁register ▁on ▁the ▁grounds ▁that ▁all ▁war ▁is ▁wrong , ▁fut ile , ▁and ▁destruct ive ▁al ike ▁to ▁vict or ▁and ▁van qu ished . ▁ ▁The ▁Act ▁did ▁not ▁recogn ise ▁their ▁stand , ▁as ▁the ▁only ▁grounds ▁for ▁a ▁man ▁to ▁claim ▁cons cient ious ▁ob jection ▁were : ▁ ▁That ▁he ▁was ▁on ▁the ▁fourth ▁day ▁of ▁August , ▁nin ete