CANBERRA BILL

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20037, 8 September 1939, Page 5

CANBERRA BILL

NEW PRECAUTIONS ACT SCARE REPORTS BANNED QUEENSLAND DISCLOSURE ENEMY. ORGANISATION (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. Sept. 8, 10 a.m.) CANBERRA, Sept. 8. Introducing the National Security Bill in the Federal House of Representatives . yesterday the wartime Prime Minister and present Attor-new-General, Mr. W. M. Hughes, made it clear that the bill ruled out any form of compulsory naval, military or air force service or dny form of industrial conscription. This, he said, accorded with the promise given to the Labour organisations during the controversy against the national register census. The bill is the equivalent of the 1914 War Precautions Act. The operation of New Zealand dealers in buying up large quantities of cornsacks, wheatbags and woolpacks in recent weeks was the main reason for the issue to-day of a proclamation prohibiting the export of these commodities. The Minister, of Customs, Mr. N. J. Lawson, said that the action had been taken in order to ensure that adequate supplies remained in Australia. ~ * The Federal Postmaster-General, Mr. E, J. Harrisdn, warns commercial radio services that the Government will deal with stations which broadcast war news in such a way as to cause undue alarm or provide exaggerated and dramatic versions t of the war developments. A Brisbane message states that documents seized in raids on aliens in Queensland revealed the existence of an enemy organisation designed to hamper the military and civil-acti-vities in war. The documents included plans and charts of city and country districts and evidence, of subsidies from abroad.