AN EXTRAORDINARY SPEECH.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1456, 3 June 1912, Page 4

AN EXTRAORDINARY SPEECH.

The Affairs should be calledjqKby-shiß\Qßllea|;ue'si', : the Minister fpi( ; p.efen : ce; Vand; : '' : .thp.-. Minister for extraordinary 'utterance' .respeci:angi universal military;';;';;tra:ining. '';: ; and: workers' unions?;' 1 / jik:';RussEtt,. -rep. .plying to theSCKairmanV' of; ;the;. Auckland Chamber ■■'pi : £pmrne.r.cej; who had passedptrqng'-fipmments'pn; the weakness of'fthe'.GpY.ernmpnb in dealing with strikes,. I '.broke forth as> follows: .:..'. \ ,'■-:' .■■;

"Are we to thrust.:.these, ime'ri iby; ? tiie; hundred into prisonF/'i-he'l.a'sked. '''The. result would be thnt^.bSrribXde's",'wp.nl , d- bp;: erected in your --streetsV.-gnns- would be'■' got out, and thdre7.<woiild. ..be. civil: war'. The men in EnßlaiVd'-'-iyhb; were ISpppsetl; ■ to compulsory military?,"*frajiiirigV'Knejy., what they were aboutr'Th'ey.treaJiEed'ltlia'!;,' if you place guns;'.iii. .the. 'Jiarids' bf .iiu' educated and uncultured, .men ydmare-pos-sibly providing they may use to upset ypuiv'entire .ciyilisK Hon." :V- "■■'..' ■ ; . ,- We are not co'rice.rnecßfpr.the'' MqV ment with MR-.',:'.;E.usa'ELii':|. :v:jews; oh' the labour question,:, his tonishing outbreak-V.:pn.i.;.'Q6rap\iilsqry military training;" ;'.--"The- in.e'n: "inEngland," he said-,.-'who. ivyerff'.-'pp s '-' posed to compulsory-' , : milita;ry-. trains ing knew what; they, .were:"'" ahqiit. They realised 'that'.'.if. ~y.pji '..'placed': guns in the hanjdsv.qf J ;llnpldlifi'a't!D'd■;an'S■' uncultured men", .■possibly.'! providing them; Hyith. jyhich" they may use 't0,..-upset; ypur' entire, civilisation." ir.t|i : .is.-me'ahs.:;.ahyth'i'n'g' it means that;.the>;Ministor :fqr Internal Affairs npt; : pnly distrusts. ;tho working classes ;ahd/ considers -they should not be'-eritnusfed pons to be iisc'd-'-fqr- .the:.;defeh,ce p.f their country, 'but also.- '-i's ; '.o'p'pq'sed: to the system pT^uri'iversa! military' training whiclv.lhi's- Gpverijnien.t- ■supports. It is difficult:-c0..-coh;c€.iy'e .'any stronger reflection .on. .Labour, than that which is cpntKiried-ih'the. .Miriister's remarks:'; .nor a. .more .direct slap'at the defen'ce' ppj.ipy of "the Government. Mr-' .'Eus'sEtL, accor.cU ing to the Press.'"Assqcia'tiph. report, has been guilty- -nf;":^''''howlingdiscretion, and:'-n0...-.dpubt .tie-will- '.lietaken to task by' .more' tha'n-'.his tical chief.