WAR REGULATIONS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2991, 31 January 1917, Page 5

WAR REGULATIONS

MINISTER REPLIES TO LABOUR CRITICISM By Telegraph—Press Association. Chrletcliurch, January 30. Last week Mr. Hiram Hunter, National Secretary of the United Federation of Labour, Tinder-instructions'from the organisation, wrote to the Hon. James Allen, protesting against tho Government's action in putting into operation the stringent -war regulations. ■"• ' . ' ' T To-day Mr. Hunter received tho following reply from tho Hon. Mr. Allen: I Wo to acknowledge receipt of your' letter, of January: 22, and am:bound to eay_ that I thmk you look upon the situation in the wrong light. The Government, by its. resolutions, is endeavouring to preserve the freedom of the "people of this. country, and is not in any way trying to'suppress their rights. The first thing to do to secure this freedom is to win the war and protect ourselves from all evil oonsequences that would arise should Ger.■many succeed in. her endeavours. "Xou were in error in writing the second paragraph of your letter, inasmuch ae the War Regulations with regard to sedition wero gazetted after Robert Semple was arrested, and he •was not tried and convicted under those regulations, as others later on most certainly have been. "With regard to your statement that you were legally advised that it is a violation of the Constitution of New Zealand to conscript men beyond the limits of the shores of tho Dominion, this question was very carefully considered by the Government, and our advico is not in accordanco with that given to you. There has therefore been no tampering with tho liberties of the people.. On tho contrary, every move the Government has made baa been to ■preserve those liberties. "In. my judgment'you'are also in error m tho statement you make that the Government has not taken steps io prevent the undue exploitation of the people through their food suppb'es. ,You must be well aware that action was taken last year -with regard to' wheat and other commodities, and of ■what has happoned quite recently with respect to Tjutter. At the present moment tho Government has under careful consideration the question of the whoat supply. Nor do you give credit to tho Government for the action taken to'restrict tho riso in tho price of meat. The Government is earnestly miximis to deal in an adequate manner with this yory difficult problem of tho rise in of food •supplies in war-time. 'I do not ngrco with you that there has been any. abrogation of the principles of democracy by the people's representatives,'and I am of opinion that you have not corno to a proper conclusion as to tho Teal principles of democracy, and I trust your allusion to seditious sentiments and revolutions has no ulterior meaning. I am pleased u> say that so far as my judgment goes there are no alarming tendencies k> revolt, and f should be very sorry if you or anybody else did anything to encouMgo such tendencies."