THE DEFENCE ACT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXII, Issue 8312, 28 February 1912, Page 2

THE DEFENCE ACT.

DEPUTATION TO THE PRIME MINISTER. SENDING BOYS TO PRISON. Per Press Association. ' CHRISTCHttRCH, February 26. To-night's " Evening News" states that jn the course of an address delivered in the Socialists' Hall last evening, "Comrade" P. R. Cooke stated that he had been one of a deputation drawn amongst others from representatives of the New Zealand Federation of Labour and; the Trades Council, and headed by Messrs Payne and Robertson, Labour members of Parliament, which waited upon the Prime Minister on Thursday last touching the compulsory clauses of the "Defence Act. Sir 1 Joseph Ward extracted a pledge of secrecy from those present, in particular getting their assurance, that nothing was to be divulged to the Press. The spokesmen of the deputation then laid their views before him., He expressed sympathy with the views held by the deputation, and particularly regretted that boys had been sent to prison for non-<x>mpliance with the Act. He said that he would use his influence to see that no further boys were sent to prison. < WELLINGTON, February 27. Sir Joseph Ward referred in the House to-day to the statement published in Christchurch that he had extracted a pledge of secrecy frojn those present at the' peace, deputation in regard to what went on. He stated that, whoever made the statement, it was absolutely untrue. He was asked to receive a deputation, but pointed out that during the noconfidence debate he could not do so. Finally, for the convenience of those who had come some distance, he agreed to meet them privately, and explained his reason why the usual course could not be followed. . ' There was no reason otherwise why what transpired should not have been sent from end to end of the Dominion. His views on defence were well known, and he did riot need to discuss the garbled statement from Christchurch. Mr Laurehson said that as the member who had introduced the deputation he could corroborate what had been said. No pledge of secrecy was asked for. .Mr Robertson bore out what Mr Laurenson had said. The Prime Minister had explained why the deputation was a private one, but nothing was said that could not have been published all over New Zealand. The Prime Minister had taken this course of action in a perfectly honourable way. Mr Payne also corroborated -what had been said.