TO COMPEL USEFUL EFFORT

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 38, 8 November 1917, Page 7

TO COMPEL USEFUL EFFORT

PROVISION FOR DRASTIC MEASURES One of the-tasks the Government may attempt to perform in the course of tho next few weeks or mouths is that of framing regulations under the War. Legislation Act of last session. Under this Act the Government has taken quite extraordinarily wide powers. The most important. of the powers is that defined iii' the following terms:— "The Governor-General may by regUr lations make such special provisions as, having regard' to tile exigencies of the present war or the' conditions created thereby, he thinks advisable for any or allot , the following purposes." And adiong the purposes aet forth is this very wide one: "For requiring-any persons, whether aliens or not, who are not engaged or employed in eo'mo industry, undertaking, or occupation deemed to be essential or partially essential to the public welfare, to become so employed or engaged, or to take reasonable stops to become eo employed or engaged, or to show cause bet'ore a Stipendiary Magistrate why they should, not be required to become so employed or engaged." * ■ .The. regulations have not beeu prepared .or ordered .yet, bnt.it is understood, that the Government did not insert the clause in tho Bill, without some real intention of putting it into effect. If the clause is to have full effect it is obvious that- those sports and amuse-, ments which require for their maintenance the work of fairly large bodies of men will have to bo discontinued or very much reduced. It is not clear that tno Government had. in mind racing or any other sport, or even the well-dressed gontiemen whose, occupation it is to "follow racing," of whom thero are eo many in every racing centre of any importtmc». The clause may be made to apply also to the regular purveyors of amusement, especially those not \ reputed to be very wholesome.