EXEMPTION.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 October 1917, Page 4

EXEMPTION.

BILL IN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. TEACHERS’ CLAUSE THROWN OUT. Wellington, Oct 2(5 In moving the second reading of the Expeditionary Forces Bill in the Legislative Council to-night. Sir Francis Bell said the clanse relating to the exemption of clergy and the amendment added by the House exempting school teachers were debateable. He did not believe that any real objection could be taken to the exemption of the clergy. With regard to the teachers, he could say, as an ex-Minister of Education, that the depletion of the ranks of the teachers had reached a stage where some effort to maintain the efficiency of the schools became essential. The clause covered a class of persons for whom it might not have been possible to provide special exemption. He believed that the replacing of male teachers by female teachers in classes was a great disadvantage, both to the teachers and the taught. If the necessity for the exemption of teachers was admitted, then the Marist Brothers were entitled to share the exemption. These Brothers were engaged entirely in teaching work in schools maintained by a denomination that did net think it right to send its children to secular schools. The position was that the House had granted exemption to all teachers in Order' to keep from service a mere handful of Marist Brothers, Education could be dispensed with for a year or two if the necessity arose. The Hon J. Macgregor said the House had provided a general exemption for teachers solely with the object of exempting a small body of Marist Brothers He did not object to the exemption of Marist Brothers, but the clause adopted by the House had introduced a dishonest issue. He would voce for the deletion of the whole clanse. He would be prepared later to vote for the exemption of Marist Brothers in a straightforward way. The Hon J. G. W. Aitken said the women teachers, who were already running many schools single-handed, could carry on the work as a temporary expedient. Sir Francis Bell, in reply, said it was no secret now that Ministers I)ad not been agreed upon the point under disenspion. Disagreements of that kind were bound to occur in a. Coalition Government. His own opinion regarding the exemption of teachers had not been moulded by the division in tlie House of Representatives. He and the Minister of Education had been in favour all along of the provision now made. The Bill was read a second time and committed.

Clause 3, containing the provisions for exemptions was postponed on the motion of Sir Francis Bell, and the remaining clauses were put through Committee without debate. Sir Francis Bell said that he wished to move an amendment to Clause 3, making it clear that the exemption applied 01113- to teachers who were teaching on the passing of the Act, and who continued to work at their profession. It would not apply to men who entered the profession after the passing of the Act. He would move, also, to delete sub-section 2, which had been intended to provide that clergymen now in camp should be entitled to discharge. This provision had been in the original clause, and owing to the inclusion of teachers in the exemption, it now had a much wider scope than originally intended. The first amendment proposed by by Sir Francis Bell was adopted. Sub-section 2 was struck out on Sir Francis Bell’s motion. The Council then divided on the question of the retention of the clause as amended, and struck it out by 11 votes to 4. The division list was as follows :

FOR, THE CLAUSE. Bell Maginnity Hall-Jones Paul AGAINST THE CLAUSE. Aitken Morgan Buchanan Moore Barr Macgregor Carson Simpson Collins T. Mac Gibbon Earnshaw. On the Minister's motion progress was then reported on the Bill.