BRITAIN'S MAN POWER BILL

Taihape Daily Times, 13 April 1918, Page 5

BRITAIN'S MAN POWER BILL

IRISH PROTESTS. LONDON, April 11. In the House of Commons, Mr. Dillon protested against the Government's plan to dispose ,of the Irish clauses in the Bill on Friday. It would be outrageous to confine the deDate to a single day. He charged the Government with deliberately "withholding the Convention's report until after the Irish debate. Mr. Bonar Law denied that the Government was delaying publication -of the report. The delay was due to the printers at Dublin. Mr. Healy, suggesting allotting another day for a secret session, added: "We can tell you something of the truth you have not yei heard regarding the consequences of enforcing conscription in Ireland." Mr. Bonar Law moved a guillotine motion allotting three days to the committee stage, and another day for the report and third reading stages, also prohibiting dilatory motions. He said this was the first occasion on which the Government had so acted since the commencement of the war. The urgency of the measure was the Justification. Tht> military authorities urged the Government to summon Parliament for tnis special purpose.

Mr. Holt moved an amendment, giving four days to the committee stage. Mr. Bonar Law accepted the amendment, but propose'd to sit on Friday night and Saturday afternoon. The amendmont and proposals were carried.

Mr. Spear moved to reduce the age limit to forty-eight. Sir Auckland Geddes stated that if the Government went much further taking men of the present militaryage, it would seriously hamper the country's war efforts. He implored the House of Commons to realise that it was dealing with a complicated problem. Taking all men of the present military age would be one of a hundred ways of losing the war. The Government only proposed to take 7 per cent, between 40 airfl 'SO this year, leaving ninety-three per cent, in civil life.' The right course was to give the widest Tange of choice. Sir Edward Carson appealed to the House of Commons to pass the Government's scheme unamended, which was based on Sir 'Auckland Geddes' careful and conscientious enquiry. Messrs De Valera and Griffiths consented to confer with Messrs Dillon and Devlin regarding conscription. In the House of Commons, in Committee on- the Man-Power Bill, an amendment substituting the age limit: at 48 for 51, was defeated by 262 to 152.