MR P. C. WEBB.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 45, 21 February 1918, Page 4

MR P. C. WEBB.

ATTITUDE OP THE GOVBBSOJ^γ*

(From Our Speolai correspondent)

WELLINGTON, this day. ■, The telegrams that have passed fc. tween the secretary of the Blackball Miners' Union and various members of the Cabmet, concerning the demand for the exemption of Mr. P. C. Webb «£ member for Grey, show that the Mini, ters at least have maintained a consti tutional and logical attitude in rear* to the matter. The miners' -message! in sist upon their "constitutionalrieht" and threaten to resent any interferen™ with these rights by "immediate indue, trial revolt." The Ministers' replieT though conciliatory in tone, are ocr fectly frank in substance. Mr. MasgU and Sir James Allen point out that the question of exemption remains entirehwith the Military Service Boards Mr W. D. S. Mac Donald supplements the very proper observations of his col leagues with a little reminder on his own account. "It would be well to re. member," he says, "that when -we demand constitutional rights we can obtain those rights only by abiding by the co tt . stitutional laws of the Dominion" The Minister of Mines is a very consistent friend of the men, and his sage advke ought not to be disregarded. : Speaking in support of the candidature of Mr. Holland, Mr. P. C. Webb, M.P. for Grey, asserted that the Government W tried to discredit Mr. Holland's Candidature through the miners in his (Mr Webb's) electorate. It was not the miners alone who were asking for hig (Mr. Webbs') exemption, but a Urge majority of the people including fannera business people, and workers generally' Three out of five farmers voted solidly for him,-and his majority had .increased.' Men who had returned from the front also were asking for exemption for him. They were confident he would look after their interests, so were the parents and relatives of those who were at the front ! He would he willing .to take a vote of the soldiers in camp now on the quegtion, and abide by the result. When he was called up he did not seek fexemptioh of any kind. It was the constituency backed by the miners of New Zealand.' In Parliament he had put up a fight against the National Government. °He had been threatened with the rope of conscription, and be had vainly challenged any -member of the present Cabinet to resign. his seat, come to Grey, and there contest the issue with him,