THE WAR SESSION

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 176, 15 April 1918, Page 4

THE WAR SESSION

MAY CLOSE TO-DAY THE NATIONAL SERVICE PROPOSALS The session of Parliament was not. brought to a closo on Saturdav, and both Houses will meet this morning to deal further with the Finance Bill,, which has been extended in scopo by some important now clauses. These new clauses wcro introduced in the House ot Representatives on Saturday afternoon and evening. The chief business re-' maining ini hand is consideration of a. clause giving the Government power to make regulations for tho control of industry and man-power in New Zealand. Jho clanso is designed to provide the basis of a national service scheme on the lines recommended bv the National Efficiency Board. When the national sen-ice clause mader its appearance in the House on Saturday objection was raised by Labour members, whoso protest: resolved itself into a demand for the addition of a proviso that no private person should profit by anything dons under the national service regulations. . Tho Ministers offered safeguards, but refused to accept tho suggested amendments on the ground that it might render the regulations inoperative in important respects. Mr. Massey said that as a general principle the Government should control any industry to which the regulations were: applied, but this might not be piacticablo in every instance. After the labour members had held up the Bill for several hours the Minister of Finance withdrew the clause and said it would be bVousht down as a) separate Bill OH Monday. The Finance Bill reached the Legislative Council after 10 p.m. on Saturday night. Sir Francis Bell moved to add to tho Bill the national service clause, withdrawn temporarily in the other House. Ho said that this procedure) was considered better than the introduction of a separate Bill. The Fir.anw Bill would go back to the Houso of Representatives on Monday, and the members would then have an opportunity to consider if. ■ Tho Hons. J. Barr aiid J. T. Paul objected and carried on. the debate until midnight, apparently tinder tho impression that the Council would have to 'rise then. But the Standing Orders of tho Legislative Council, unlike those* of the.House of Representatives, do not cause a sitting to terminI ato automatically at midnight on Satur- ! day, and when the Labour members discovered this fact they let the clause i proceed without breaking the Sabbath i for more than a few minutes. The ! third rending of the Bill in the Council ! will be taken at 10 a.m. to-day. J-he ! House of Representatives will meet at U lam to receive the Bill. The Government may be able to devise a proviso Z Twill satisfy the Labour members without impairing he usefnlne« o the clause. The opportunities for further discussion, in any case will be much smaller than thev would have been if a »al Service Bill.had been wtroduced. ________