PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 June 1916, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. MILITARY SERVICE BILL. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. Hon. Sir F. 11. D. Bell moved the second reading of the* Military Service Bill. He said that the class of adventurous young men who were eager for service would soon be exhausted. There was another class who said they would be available when called upon, and then there was another section who did not want to light, even in their own defence. Parliament was now asked to set out the reserves from which men could be drawn to make up their promisf of troops. Any failure to carry out that promise would involve the resignation of the Ministry. Every man of military age who was physically fit was a member of the reserve, but the reserve was divided into the two (lasses which he had described. A call could not be made on the second class until the first class had been accounted for. It was intended that a register of the reserve would be compiled .vithout delay. He explained the alternative nature of the provisions of the Bill, and said he - believed it would be necessary in some districts to put the compulsory provisions into service. That was in cases where such districts failed to supply the required number o*f suitable men.

Touching upon the contention that unprecedented powers had been given to the police, Sir F. H. D. Bell said that stringent powers were necessary to meet cases where intention to evade the Act was shown. He pointed out that this power was already in use in the Customs Act, and to omit this power would enable persons to defy the law or to make it ridiculous.

Hon. W. H. D. Baillie seconded the motion, and urged that the necessity of the Bill must be apparent.

Hon. J. T. Paul claimed that the Bill was the production of only part o'' the National Cabinet. iPersonally, lie had supported the voluntary system, anil he believed that conscription of wealth should have preceded conscription of men, then proper provision could ha\c been made for soldiers and their dependents. He considered that the Labor opposition to conscription was a sensible opposition. He defined conscription of wealth to mean a certain amount of taxation and a certain amount of forced loan. They had yet to discover how much of the war profits the Government would confiscate. Übor realised that its ranks had to supply the greater number of fighters, and it was not a matter for surprise that this idea was held. The war might be prolonged in order that financial magnates might continue to reap a rich harvest from war profits. Labor had ample reason to hate conscription. He condemned the haphazard way in which the Government had acted, and condemned the Bill as tyrannical and unnecessary.

Hon. R. Moore supported the Bill. He believed tliat if it were placed before the country it would be found that 00 per cent, of the people were in favor o; it.

After dinner adjournment, Hon. Sir W. Hall-Jones expressed regret that the required men could, not lie secured by voluntary enlistment. The Bill, as it stood, would meet requirements, although it might be improved upon in one or two details in committee. Hon. G. Carson said that the Bill was a guarantee to the men at the front that for every man who fell there, would he another to take his place. In New Zealand the demand for compulsion had not come from the National Government, but it had been made in response to a general appeal from the people. Hon. J. Barr said that personally he considered the Bill absolutely necessary, as it. rather tended to uphold the liberty of the subject that was so favorably known in the British Kmpire. There was an obligation on the part of every man of mature age to play his part in a crisis like the present, and give up his life, if necessary, for the State. The debate was adjourned, and the Council rose at 1C o'clock. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. GENERAL. Wellington, Last Night. The House met this afternoon, In reply, to Mr. W, H. Field (Otakl),

the Minister of Defence said that any soldier could make a will, but it was not considered advisable to give soldiers under 21 years of age the right to give anyone a power of attorney.

In reply to Mr. <}. K. Syk'ea, the Minister said that he would take steps to prevent, in future, the publication of names and particulars of soldiers returning to Now Zealand as military prison-

In reply to Mr. J. V. Brown (Napier)', the Prime Minister said that he understood no decision had yet been come to regarding giving a war bonus to members of the police force. Two days' leave ol absence was granted to Mr. Veiteh. on account of illness. 'Die Napier High School Amendment Bill was introduced by Mr. J. V. Brown, and read a first time". LAND FOR SOLDIERS. The adjourned debate on the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Amendment Bill was resumed by Mr. T. W. Rhodes (Thames), who supported the Bill, but considered that the financial provision made under {he measure was quite inadequate. Mr. G. Witty advocated the acquisition of native land for soldiers, paying a fair price for it; but in all eases'the land should be purchased from the Natives direct, cutting out the profits of speculators.

On resuming at 7.30 p.m., Mr. D. H. Guthrie said that the success of the Act would depend upon its administration. He thought Land Boards had a great deal of work at the present time, and it would he necessary to hand the administration over to some special department, and he hoped this hint would be acted upon. Much care would have to be taken in the selection of men to bo put upon these military lands. Blocks should be selected over the whole of the Dominion, 10 that men could be put on In ml* in districts with which they are familiar. He also favored the establishment of experimental farms. He quite approved of the Act, and hoped it would prove a very useful measure. Hon. W. D. S. McDonald considered the Bill a great advance on the measure passed last session. Land purchased for tlie purposes of the Act should be of the heat class, and the greatest caution should be exercised in this respect. He also wisiied to remind members that the work of preparing these lands for settlement was bound to take a reasonable time; it-could not be done at short notice. He also wanted members to realise that members of the National Government were earnestly desirous of doing their very best to assist returned soldiers. ',

Mr. G. W. Forbes said that parliament and the people had assured our boys that they would be cared for on their return from the battle-fields. Everything, so far as this Hill was concerned, would depend upon the amount, of determination put into its administration. Jle was glad to hear that officers of the department were doing all in their power to make the measure a success, but lie doubted whether the Prime Minister hail the time at his disposal to give it the attention that was necessary to nuke its administration a success. So far as the Bill went it merely followed the recognised lines of settlement, which might be well enough where Crown lands are concerned, but it was to private lands we must look for areas sufficient to meet requirements. He doubted whether th« method of taking land compulsorily would prove satisfactory. He felt confident that our present methods of settlement would not be adequate to meet the tremendous strain put upon it when the thousands of soldiers who were coming back returned, and lie asked Parliament to keep its promises and put them upon the land. The position in Jsorth Canterbury was that no land could be bought, because land values were so high that the l.uid Purchase Board could not buy. The intention of the Bill was to let the soldier have the land at market price, but that price was • hucli that no soldier could afford to pay it. A suggestion to meet that difficulty was that the country should show that it had some gratitude, and let the soldier have land at 25 per cent, off the market value, the deficiency being made up by a loan, to spread over all the land of the Dominion, zo that all landowners would bear tfic concession. The men who were figntiiid tho battles of the country were as a salvage crew bringing a derelict ship into port, and they were entitled to some reward for their services. In his opinion the Bill would not effect the settlement required, and a more radical measure must be passed. He felt confident that a separate department should be set up, and we must get a hustle on if the men coming back from the front wera to be spared serious* disappointment.

Dr. A. K. Newman said the Ministers need have no anxiety about the passage of the Bill. The only complaint of members was that they did not get Bills enough of this kind. Mr. J. MoCombs complained that the scheme to buy land by debentures would enable the rich man to escape incometax. The proposal was a most pernicious one.

Sir Joseph Ward, as allowing the sufficiency of the steps already taken by the National Government to provide employment for returned soldiers, pointed out that of 403') soldiers who came back only S7O were on the register of the Soldiers' Employment Department. The financial proposals of the Bill had been criticised, but he contended that it was not possible to settle all our soldiers in one year. The financial proposals were adequate for all that could lie done in the first year. The Government was determined to get good land to settle soldiers on, but it must not bo foTgptteu that by so doing they may unduly enhance values, through the Government being such large purchasers. In any case the Government was ready to do its part, from the financial and the humane sides, as far as it was possible to do so. From 1910 to IJII4 we spent £1,803,281 on imported fruit alone. In the face of this we had large areas in both Islands more suitable for fruit growing than anything in California. He strongly advocated the selection of these lands for soldiers' settlements.

Messrs K. Scott and C. J. Talbot supported the'Bill.

Mr. Massey said that from the soldiers' point of view fhoy had done their best, mid the country should do its best for them, but lie had to remind the House thnt there would be heavy obligations to nnet after the war. Several valuable suggestions had been made during the debate, which could receive attention in committee. iTc alluded in grateful terms to the work accomplished by patriotic societVs. He was of opinion that young strong active men would be wisely advised if they went to the backblocks and took up bush land. He honestly believed that with energy 101)0 settlers could be plajed on the land, under this Bill, per year. At the same time he recognr'eed that soldier settlers would have to be generously treated, * The second reading was carried on the voice* and the Home rote at 1.85 a.m.