REPATRIATION BILL PASSED

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 63, 9 December 1918, Page 7

REPATRIATION BILL PASSED

.. THE LIQUOR BILL \ ALLEGED BRIBERY I ' : ■' ' . .The Legislative Council met at lflio a.m, on Saturday. The Expeditionary Forces Amendment Bill-was received- from the Lower House arid rend a first-, time. , ■ Sjr.FRANCIS BELL; (Leader of the .Council,- . in-. ;moving •. -.thev second, reading, explained; the-provisions of - the Biili drawing,;atientio.n to . the - import? •anco of tho-■ disqualification. of-.conscien-tious objectors-. from - civil. rights. The clause on' that head, ho said, did not subject tha religious, objector-to the liabilities of shirkers. /. Certain -sects-had religious scruples. against- shedding ■ blood, and if the magistral os -were satisfied of their objections, tho disqualifications under the.Bill would not apply ,to them. The Eon. Major Harris: Will 'this be a'new religion? (Laughter.)- ' .The Speaker ruled that the question was out of order at that juncture. « Sir. Francis-..Bell: It will : . be - a question for the magistrates to say what •rr mail's religion is, and I dare say/that the viewsof the stipendiaries' .will bo a valuable instruction to my lion, friend, Alajor Harris. (Laughter.) \ ' Some Criticism. ! The Hon. j: T. PAUL felt that they-were passing a measure contrary to British freedom and traditions; (Cries of ;"No") , Certain men'had suffered; for their, opinions, and now Parliament' was proposing ft.measuta of>'.whicli thoso men had had no knowledge when they were first tried.. By- passing the Bill;' they would bo perpetrating an out--Sjge on all British conceptions of justice as they hnd-understood them. Some of the objectors wero probably wrong-head-ed, but they, had paid a penalty once, and they, should-not bo subjected.to the imposition of a 6econd penalty. The method of administration of tho Bill would bo found to be inequitable,-if not ' impossible. . • . The Hon. J. BARE opposed tl)e idea of . shirkers 'ever regaining the privi-. lares of citizenship. There was no ne- . etssity to go any further into the matter. , The British, people were not re-

vengeful, but at times they we're inclined" to be too lenient. The countrv was agreed, that shirkers, .had no right to enjoy civil. rights., Shirkers'were sentenced to imprisonment,.and thus put in safety. That was just what.they wanted. If that was .the idea of punishment, then lie thought. tlie punishment had, not been sufficient to"meet whafho'con--siuered was a crime. (Hear, hear ) ■'■ • . TheH on , Tß - HEUHEU TUKINOask . Ed that the Waikato section of the Maoris who .had opposed military' service ehould be withdrawn from the 'scope" of-..he ten-year disqualification of ciril rights. The, Hon. G. J. GARLAND warmly supported the Bill. Nothing in tile proposal could- ever wipe out the stein on the shirkers who had been afraid to go to the front and do their dutyj, It had been said that'these men bad already paid the price. That was not the' case. <lhe men who had died on'the'battlefield had paid the price, not the cowards who had been afraid to do their" duty. Bill Passed/ Sir Francis Bell said he' was not quite sure whether Maoris who had refused to serve came withiri'the definition of ■■ conscientious objectors.-. He" .thought "• they did not. "But," added Sir -Francis, "what I am sure of ia that it would.be almost impossible : for • the ■ Minister of< Defence to get their names.",, 1 (Laughter.) The Bill was reported .'from Committee without amendment, read a'third time, and passed. ; ■' NATIVE LAND AMENDMENT. BILL The Native Lhad Amendment Bill and Native Land Claims Adjustment' Bill were received-from the Lower House. • ■The Leader of the-Council (Sir: Francis Bell) .explained, that 'the".Bill .".was'' most) satisfactory in-'deciding : .soifie difficulties which.had arisen in connection with- Native affairs: • " ■:..-.: '. • The Bill was put through- all stages and. passed. ''.''•• DISTILLATION BILL. ' The Distillation Bill,.received, from--the Lower Huse, was also . carried without amendment. • ■ ■ - • ' i LICENSING AMENDMENT: An-amendment made by . the . Lower House to the Licensing Amendment Bill; providing that, compensation in regard to country hotel building?. ehould be increased to 'not more than .70 per'.cent, on the capitaUvalue,. was agreed to.. / REPATRIATION BILL . -.; THE: FOUR MINISTERS. . In moving the second reading of the Repatriation • Bill, which .was passed by the Lower, House, Sir Prancis Bell said he could not. understand why, there had been -..50. much fuss about this proposed measure, as it was' worded in the widest possible terms. 'He could see no, objection to theie being four Ministers ' on

the board, as their actions in regard to the expenditure of moneys would be controlled by Cabinet. There seemed to be ft suggestion that in some way or other there was some nefarious design in tho creation of the board to prevent the appointment of a single Minister of liepatriation, who would be, an additional Minister, and whose function' it would he to attend entirely to that matter.. The success of tho plan depended upon tho officials who would have.to carry it out. Board Idea Opposed, Tho Hon. J.' T." PAUL expressed pleasure at the fact that a Repatriation ■Department was being set up. A groat .mistake was being made in the appointment -of four Ministers instead of one. It - would only lead to difficulty '■ in administering .the work of the- board, which should be under the supervision of an expert Minister.- ■ Could- -four Ministers make themselves masters of-the job?_He did not think so. • He did not think that .anybody- considered 1 there was a nefarious design behind the scheme. Tho foiirMinister proposal , was ..only.' the result of having a • National - Government in office.- He agreed >i'ith-the idea of local hoards, and' thought. they would- tend to- increase--the'effect of; the scheme. Whilst he criticised the' setting up of a ■hoard instead of 'having a single. Minister "in charge of the scheme, he trusted 'that-.the measure would prove a success. . The Hon; J.. BARR thought the local hoards would he . able to do good in the giving of advice, but-he said that sol- , diers • should be made to realise that •there-.was nothing in the way of charitable' aid under tile, scheme. TJiere was too much of that connection with tho patriotic funds, in -regard to the suggestion to extend , the provisions of the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Act to those coining' frithin the 6cope,of the Bill, 'he< trusted that first consideration nvould be • given to who had seen active service, ratter than to those who had never left the, shores of New Zealand, even though it was not'the fault of tho latter that they had not done so. The fact of a man having suffered the hardships of the battlefield entitled him to consideration ahead of others who had ■remained in camp. ■ ' Settlement on the Land, ' The Hon. 6. ' JONES trusted that every facility- would be given' to. discharged soldiers in regard to. hind settlement. The prices, were .too. 'high,, and should bo brought down. The Hon. A,.T. HAWKE considered that the Land Purchase Board had 'been very careful in selecting and purchasing land for soldiers, and. 011 tha- point the public could very well feel at case. " Mr; Jones: .£SO and ..£6O an acre. Sir Francis Bell:. A man who bought at',£s9 caii sell at ifio iiow. ' The Hon. G. J; GAR LAND did not entertain any fear, regarding the constitution of a board' of four Ministers, for "in a multitude of 'counsellors there was wisdom." He welcomed the Bill, which he felt would do great deal of good.' After other Councillors had spoken in favour'of. tho Bill, Sir Francis Bell re-' plied, stating- that in his (-.pinion , the work-of repatriation, had been carried out very well so far by the officers of the Public Sen-ice who were'responsible fot that'ditty.' In to'the price, of land, even if it were'-high, the soldier' would not suffer, as the Government had power to reduce- the rental. ' Tho' Bill' was reported from committee without amendment, re'ad ; a third time, and passed. v ■ — :— LOCAL BILLS. IA number of local Bills were received from the .House of Representatives, and rea'a a first tiilic; 'and at 11.20 p;m. the Council adjourned until 10.30 a.m. to-day.