A SWEEPING MEASURE.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 October 1917, Page 6

A SWEEPING MEASURE.

A WASTE OF CAPITAL AND LABOR. UTILISING THE SERVICES OF IDLERS. : From our Parliamentary Reporter. Wellington, Oct. 24. The House to-night discussed the War Legislation Bill, the most sweeping measure of its kind the National Government has yet introduced. The Attorney General explained the Bill I without emphasising its drastic nature, and the debate that followed showed that he was justified in assuming the House was ready to give the Government all the powers it wants. Mr. Herdman mentioned that the power to take land and buildings compulsorily might be used in opening State butchery shops. The Efficiency Board had recommended that power should be taken to prevent the investment of money in non-essential enterprises during the war. MuchSmoney was being put into picture theftres, for example, and this was not desirable in view of the Government's neefssities. There was much waste of labour in the delivery of foodstuffs and goods by competing and overlapping firms and he was asking authority to prevent this. The Government knew that there wero many people in New Zealand doing no work, and it wanted power to call any idlers before a magistrate to show cause why they should not be put to some useful occupation in war time. The wide utilisation of women in industry might become necessary, and provision waa being made for it.