MILITARY SERVICE ACT.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 September 1917, Page 5

MILITARY SERVICE ACT.

EXEMPTION OP, CLERGY. QUESTION OF SECOND ALLOWANCES.. "V" ' By Telegraph.—Proas Association Wellington, Last ?ughfc ■in the House of Representative* to* nigiit, Sir James Allen moved the second reading ox the Expeditionary Force? Amendment Bill. He explained that the main alteration of the law was th# exemption of clergy from conscription. , in tins-respect the Bill followed, the Imperial Act, He did not know what interpretation had been put upon the term holy orders" in Britain, and to. get over the difficulty it had been defeided to schedule religious bodies'exempt, La addition to which were a number who ,v<>r® licensed to marry.. The Seventh Day Adventists were not at present in the schedule, but if they could prove thsy have regularly ordained ministers they would be placed in the schedule; Th® •salvation Army was in the same position. In the previous Bill the Houia d«cided that there be no exemptions, but in practice it had been found impossible* to conscript clergy who had done nobis work. This was the only exemption made, and he hoped no further exemn? tions would be put in, as that wouldba likely to create a flood that would be hard to stop. There was no provision regarding the enlistment of boys ot - nineteen, as he had now found it wa* not necessary, the law officers informing him that they could be accepted as volunteers, provided their parents consented Clause 4 extends the Bill to Cook Islands Clause 5 makes the position regarding employment of reservists clearer, while clause six empowers them to take all remaining in class 1 without a further ballot. Clause 12 deprived deserters of! civil rights. The remainder were purely] machinery clauses. Mr. Poland complained there wa& nor information given the House regarding the pay and allowances of the Second Division. He proposed to move an amendment that the scale of pay shall be fixed by the House instead of by the Iflinigteij under regulations. , , Mr. Massey stated that this question could be dealt with in the next Bill. Mr. Isitt said the Premier had no# kept his promise to give members ai° round table conference on the question of soldiers' pay and allowances, and lie felt bound to say this question would not be satisfactorily settled till members had an opportunity of discussing it witM Ministers. He would oppose any .aUpniptf to conscript Marist Brothers, becauflflithey were clerics in everything but The Premier denied that he had broken faith with the members regarding thai question of the payment cf the Second Division. It had yet to be considered' by Cabinet, and tho Cabinet ted not con.* i sitiered it only because of thfe pressure o$ business, amounting to which few mem* bcrs had any conception. Cabinet prcw posed to devote the week-end; to tljii, question, and the' proposals would bej, submitted next week.- '

"GOVERNMENT WILL' DO'ITS DUTT» By Wire. l —Our Parliamentary Beportity Wellington, list Night/ 'During the second reading of the 23jk pcditionary Forces Amendment Bill, HSfft ■■■■■, Poland made a strong protest again»ti : the delay, in the statement of the Gov* erument's intentions regarding the a!-4 lowanees. and pensions for the Second! Division men. There hai t>fe6» a fcreacHj of faith in the failyra to bring down tifl( .. promised amendment. » . _ f Mr. "Maasey said tVerer had beeni a$ breach of faith. The Ministers had bertl extraordinarily busy since he retupieoi from London. Important legislation anjjji industrial. troubles had occupied thed| < time, and it had Wen impossible to gin' adequate time to the Second Division needs, but he could assure married that their claims were not going to fcfk overlooked. Allowances and ' would bo placed on,a scale to providjf reasonably for the wivos and children*! He knew the position of the men whfr . ; were going to proceed to the front, leavi i ing wives and children here, and hfc* could say that the Government wous its duty by them. N i