RESISTING THE BIG UNION

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 10, 7 October 1920, Page 6

RESISTING THE BIG UNION

CLAIMS OP THE SEAMEN. "Is it intended to introduce legislation during the present session enabling the ...seamen of New Zealand to have their union registered as one union for the -..whole of New Zealand?" asked Mr. 1\ (Wellington Central) in the House of Representatives. The member added that he understood the Labour ' Department was not averse to this ai- ..;., Tafigem'erit. The Minister of Labour (Sir William . /Herries) said that the Government had ..... -no objection to Dominion awards, and it ...might bring down, legislation on' that- , point if time permitted. But a Do- .. minion award was a different thine from a Dominion union. In view or the present state of-labour unrest, the opinion of the Government was that it was / ..• not desirable to havo Dominion unions, '" 'which'could be united and worked as one big union. He did not wnnt to open JJ that question. The avowed object of -~,...,the Seamen's Union, •as expressed by • Mr.'Young, was to have t Dominion v union in order to amalgamate with the Australian union. That would bo V creating a combination that would bo • very.-powerful and that might paralyse ~,,: industry. PROBATIONS WIDENED ".' CONCESSIONS TO LAWBREAKERS: ;■ The Offenders' Probation Bill, which has been introduced in the House of Re- .. f.presentatives, extends the scope of the •:. , present'Krst Offenders' Probation Act by . giving judges and magistrates power to •• .grant probation to all classes of offend- -:. ors/: whether first offenders or not, instead" of .imposing on them sentences of " imprisonment.. In addition to this wodening of the scope, the Bill contains a •-. number of amendments which, have been ";■: found necessary for the administering of ,: - the First Offenders Act. The Minister of Justice (Hon. E. P. Lee) sxpained yesterday that the previous Act. was the First Offenders Act; that was now done away with, and any offender could come under its provisions. There had been no alteration in the law j'"since 1880. Since that year 3166 persons 'of both sexes had been given the bt-meht of probation, and only 285 had abused the • leniency. In many cases offenders had vivliciai placed under the supervision of tho , first offenders' probation officers when :'--'technically tliey were not first offenders. By the Bill power to adopt this course would be given by statute. . ..It was to to,) made possible to place ' "an offender on probation for five years ■ instead of only three as at present. There was another clause to give the power to ... prohibit tho publication of the names of first offenders. By a further clause probationers were to be power to ap- :-.,■ ply to the Prisons Board for discharge from probation, this l vesting the board with a power similar' to the one it had' at present to release prisoners. There would-be no publicity about the proceed- .. ings. Where a probationer committed a "' breach of his probation it would be pos- ... sible to bring him beforfe a magistrate .'" rind have, him fined or imprisoned, where- :'..[ as at present he would have to go before . .the Supreme Court, withl all the' delay '. and trouble attendant upon that dure. An offender ordered to come up :'"for sentence when called upon could be "yt required to report to a probation officer, ••■:»• under; the same conditions as a probationer. These were the main provisions of the new measure, which was also in "■'"' some measure a consolidation of the pre6ont legislation. , ' a wrongedTsoldier . COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS COM-' PENSATION. The petition of George Miller, of Wel- '"'" lington, for compensation for wrongful imprisonment, degradation and imprisonment while serving in the Expeditionary .'-'..'Force,' was referred to the Government for: favourable consideration on the recommendation of the Defence Committee yesterday. The chairman of the committee (Mr. Glenn) and the Leader- of' the Opposition (Mr. Wilford) explained to the House that Miller had served honourably « with'' the Expeditionary Force for four years and a half, and had been decorated for his services. He attained the rank .of quartermastersergeant. -After the armistice he was tried by court-martial on a charge of theft, was found guilty and sentenced to a term of imprisonment. He was deprived of his rank, and was returned to New Zealand without leave in England. Subsequently his conviction was quashed. The two members stated that , Miller's character had been completely .. cleared, and he was entitled to compensation for the hardship and injustice inflicted upon him. kicks forTgitators • ■*'. MR. FRASER, AND "SEDITION." A letter published in The Dominion on September 25, over the mom de plume "Up,' the Decent People," was mentioned by Mr. P.. Eraser (Wellington Central) in tho House yesterday. Mr. Fraser gavo notice to ask if the Prime ' • Minister would "consult the Crown Law Officers for an opinion as to whether sedition, seditious intention, or incitement to violence is contained in the letter." The- member for Wellington Central read the letter, which suggested that there would bo no peace in New Zealand until the agitators were kicked out. "How much lunger are the decent members of this community going to stand being persecuted by a low thousand misguided coalminors and wharf labourers?" the correspondent had asked. "Why don't we make a stand and- first of all deport any foreign-born residents • in the Dominion who aro known to he agitators. Then get to work and kick out any men who strike without a really good reason for doing so, and do not reinstate them; let them go to Russia, or wherever they like." ! A chorus of. Hear, hears," indicated that many ■ members of the House thought The Dominion's correspondent Was on tho right line. SPEEDING - IP *£T.»(1 »' " ' :'' ' i -.W ' Sir'•' Francis Bell told tho Legislative ""■■'''■Council yesterday that lie would next » week move for authority to put. Govcrn- ■-• ment measures through all stages at one sitting, and to take precedence with Government business on each sitting day. The Whakatane Harbour Amendment Bill was read a second time in the LegisfaTive Counoil yesterday.