PARLIAMENT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 48, Issue 252, 3 August 1928, Page 2

PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. MILITARY SERVICE BILL. (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, August 2. In the House of Representatives yesterday, the joint committee on standing orders recommended that the Church of England Empowering Bill bo allowed to proceed. Mr Campbell (Hawke's Bay) asked the Minister in charge of the Valuation Department whether his attention had 'been drawn to some remarks of Mr W. A. Veitch, M.P., at New Plymouth, to the effect that a typical case of unfairness in connection with valuations was in Hawke's Bay, where 4000 acres wore valued at £3 10s an acre, whereas alongside there was land valued at over £lO per acre. He wanted to know whether the Minister would look into the matter with a view of seeing that fairness was done to officers of the department. The Hon. A. D. McLeod replied that his attention had been drawn to the matter, but he did not know what was in the mind of Mr Veitch. The allegation seemed to be that officers of the department were not carying out fair valuations. If Mr Veitch and Mr Campbell would supply him with particulars of the properties referred to he would have investigations made. Mi- J. A. Lee (Auckland East) moved the second reading of the Compulsory Military Service Repeal Bill. He said he moved the Bill this year with greater confidence than he did last year, not because he believed there were converts to be made in the House, but because there was growing support for it in the country. He was surprised to find the encouragement he received after he had introduced 1 the Bill last year. The support came largely from- people who were not friends of the Labour Party, indicating that compulsory military training was becoming widely unpopular. The Labour Party had opposed militarv training when it was popular. People now were beginning to realise that the Labour Party was right. He quoted recent converts to anti-military training as showing that the movement was growing rapidly. If a fraction of the money spent on military training was spent on sports grounds for the masses greater physical fitness would result. The Minister of Defence (the Hon. F. J. Rolleston) said there was nothing constructive in Mr Lee's sneech. It was useless to advocate a volunteer system, because that method had been tried and found wanting. Volunteer forces never had any proper discipline. It would be too expensive to embark on a scheme of training volunteer noncommissioned officers by sending them to camp for three months. New Zealand, as part of the Empire, had certain obligations in defence matters. There was less military training at parades than formerly, and youths were given lectures on citizenship and related matters. Prosecutions for failure to render military service were only 4 per cent, of Territorials and 1 per cent, of Cadets. There was very little real opposition to the system. Mr Forbes said he was satisfied that the present system of compulsory training was much fairer than the volunteer system, under which the duty of defence would fall on those willing to bear it. For that reason he was adverse to repealing the present system. Mr D. Jones asked what was the Labour Party's Defence policy. They had none, yet they asked the House to wipe out the existing policy and had nothing to put in its place. After Mr Lee had briefly replied a division was taken, when the second reading was defeated by 50 to 10.

Registration of Music Teachers. Sir John Luke moved the second reading of the Music Teachers Registration Bill. He said the intention of the Bill was to set up high standards amongst teachers of music. At the same time it was not desired to shut anyone out, and clause 17 was made wide for that purpose. A board of registration was set up, and everyone at present practising as a mnsie teacher was given twelve months in which to an'>'- for registration. The Bill was only on similar linos to that passed in connection with several other professions. After Sir John Luke had replied, the Bill was read a second time on the voices and referred to the Education Committee. The House rose at midnight till 2.30 p.m.