WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 8, Issue 138, 14 June 1916, Page 6

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

© MILITARY SERVICE. WAR PRICES. (Special Correspondent). iWELLJINIGTiON, June 12. The speeches delievered on the motion for the third reading of the Military Service Bill were, for the most part, worthy of the House and worthy of the occasion. Mr. Isitt, who opened the debate, if a discussion which merely accepted and epitomised the inevitable can be called a debate, needed to speed the measure on its Avay to the Statute Book. He had giv en loyal and consistent support to the Government in its endeavour to meet the emergencies of the -hour, but he had not pretended to be satisfied with all it had done nor undisturbed by what it had left undone. It had not been, he said, as resolute, a s prcmpt and as fearless in its action, in its claims upon wealth, in its retrenchment of expenditure and in its attempt, to check the increase in the cost of living as it might have been. "We do not doubt your patriotism," he added, addressing the occupants of the Treasury benches, "but you have ! failed to take* your courage in both I hands and to have faith in the people in this great national crisis. We want a Ministry that has not merely opinion s. x We want a Ministry that will act fearlessly and determinedly and while we have faith in you we want ycu to have faith in us, to believe that we are as much stirred with the responsibilities of the Empire as you ar e yourselves and that we are prepared for you to call upon us for really heroic measures and for ■ drastic sacrifices." The whole speech was a fine effort which compelled the attention of a full House, and lest nothing in dramatic effort through the empty galleries and the broad daylight which lends no glamour to an afternoon sitting.

THE LABOUR PARTY

Mr. Wilford, perhaps the most capable speaker in the House next to Mr. Isitt, followed the member for Christchurch North -with a critical, closely reasoned review of the Bill, and after Dr. Newman and Mr. Poole had contributed their quotas to the discussion Sir Joseph Ward, more in sorrow than in anger, took certain of the Labour members to task for having done a great deal les s than justice to the people they claim specially to represent. He disliked the idea of compulsion, he said, as much as anyone cculd, and he disliked it none the less because th e House had been compelled to make provision against the day when it might become necessary. But it was not the workers who were going to enforce this necessity upon the rountry if it was forced at all. They had done their part in the war here and in everv other nart of the Empire magnificently and he was sure they were not going to relax their efforts in the hour of the country's greatest need. But h eregretted that some of their representatives in Parliament. I finite honestlv, nr doubt, acording to 'heir own conception of the position, bar] imnlied that the Government was aoins to treat the workers unfairly and that the workers were going to TPQPiit. thic, treatment. He simnly did H<-« ~* *h« ~tV«ts T ike tha + . rp^rv rMTr-nrict'm w!>s a s^ 01 i" ir 'i. them and he appealed to them just as confidently as he did to every other sec- ' tion of the community to throw themselves with renewed enthusiasm ami renewed confidence into the task of winning tb<* war. He accented his full share of. responsibility for what the (Government was doing without anv wrv,.! of reservation and he was intent tc le<" the sane workine: men •>nd wrm«»n of the dominion be his

•iivin-n---. Mr. Masses suoke vieorously

wf>U. ei i '"' ! i3siF«ne f bo rMnt that •Ko r-/--ir/'"v n bo rjretjared for pnv ...-iproo'ir-i- gnri Mr. Allen in oonolud••■>rr fi-r> r , at an iv-iv hni"

Saturday morning urged the public, no he had done in introducing the Bill, to put aside personal differences and to devote all its energy to winning the war. ""The third reading was carried by 44 votes to 4, two of the Labour members having paired against th measure and Mr. Fletcher accomn°nving the remaining three into the "Noes" lobby. SOLDIERS' SETTLEMENT.""" There already is some plain speaking in regard to the Government's proposals for settling returned soldiers on the land and there is likely to iife more before the Discharged Soldiers SoftJement Bill gets through the House. There is a very general feeling that Mr. Massev, as Minister of Lands has not yet fully appreciated the imnortance and urgency of this question. The Act of last session was. accepted rather as a tentative measure simply expressing the country's good-will towards the men who had been fighting the Empire's battles than.as a final solution of a great national" problem, but the amending Bill now before the House really proposes little advance ;pon t". ■;• existing legislation; except

in the way of extending the financial provision for the acquisiton of land by the State. It does not seem to contemplate that thousands of men returning from the war will be disinclined to resume their former sedentary occupations and will be seeking opportunities to make homes for themselves on the land. The great majority of these will have had no experience in farming of any description and will require to be given special facilities for learning something about the business before they can embark upon it with any chance of success. Of course, a proportion of them will have a little capital and some practical knowledge. These may be suited well enough by the Minister's present proposals. But th e clerk or the factory hand or the casual labourer who come s back with only a f\v pounds in his pocket and an ardent desire to get away from the town into the country appears to have been left out of Mr Massey's calculations. Yet this is the man above all others who should be encouraged to enter upon a more spacious life. A year or two ago the Prime Minister was painting the deliehts cf small rural settlement with inspiring enthusiasm. To-day he has an opportunity to give his theories a practical turn with immense advantage to the returned soldier and to the country. Truly what New Zealand wants, no less in time of war than in time cf peace, is "settlement, more settlement and still more settlement," and here are the means at hand of getting what it requires.