MR WEBB AT WELLINGTON.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 September 1919, Page 1

MR WEBB AT WELLINGTON.

HIS VIEWs UNCHANGED

(The “Dominion” Report),

Mr P. C. Weiib after expressing gratification for his welcome back to “so-called said that if lie had bis life to live over again, be would do exactly as lie had done. He went on to speak about prisons and prison life and liis condemnation of the “brutalising” system was sweeping. 1 lie made one or two serious accusations against th 0 administration of Ivaiiigaroa Prison. He said that the ’lien had to work hard there for ten hours a day on insufficient food and had to live in the severest climate, with old worn-out bedding, no fires, [■and under harsh restrictions. His picture of the life made it appear that the conscientious objectors must have bad an unpleasant sojourn there. His accusation against the administration was that an attempt was made to deceive the visiting Magistrate. He do-

'•larcd that prisoners were compelled to do dishonest tilings in gaol, and ho instanced the stealing of chaff for the prison from another Department as one of these tilings. He Cixpressed bis extreme disgust with “Mr Thomas Milford,” Minister of Justice at the time that be was in prison, because that gentleman bad dis-

I regarded some of his appeals for inquiries. At tile end of it all, Mr Webb, said he liad met better men at Tva in - garon- than lie had met in Parliament, (bond Applause). Last of all ho spoke of his own case. He said that ho bad been accused of being “a shirker” and had been .denied the name of “patriot.” If being a patriot means' to stand for what Mr Massey and Sir | Joseph Ward stand for,” he said, “I I hope never to be a patriot.” He accused the National Government of having introduced conscription without a mandate from tho people, and so claimed the . right to disregard the laws of that Government.

He made a general appeal to the vetujmed soldiers to support Labour at the coming elections. He said that ho had always thought that the host end to the war would have been a draw, which would have demonstrated to the Powers of the world the. absurbity of resorting to arms. He had told Sir James 'Allen that he would resign liis scab in Parliament, join the. Tunnelling Corps as a private, and work in that corps to entrench Paris and France to make the result a draw. Sir James Allen said there would be no need to resign. But soon conscription came, and then there was such a rush for the Tunnelling Corps that he was not needed. He would not go when conscription was the law. Had ho known then what ho knew now about the war nothing would liavo got him

into it, in the Tunnelling Corps or any other Corps. He had been told that this war was fought on behalf of the small nations, but he knew now that this was a,lie. He mentioned the ease this was a lie. Ho mentioned the case of Ireland, and said the Irish were a small nation oppressed. He declared in ooncluvsion that he would like to meet Mr Massey, Sir James Allen, Sir Joseph "Ward and the rest on the platform in Wellington, not before waterside workers and miners, but before the .returned soldiers of New Zealand. (Applause).