EXPEDITIONARY FORCES BILL.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 16043, 27 October 1917, Page 8

EXPEDITIONARY FORCES BILL.

PASSED PY THE HOUSE. (PRESS ASSOCIATION TIXXGB-UIA WELLINGTON, October 26. After tho telegraph closed at 2 a.m., in Committee on the Expcdftionary Forces Bill in tho Houso of Representatives, further consideration was given to a new clause moved by tho Ministei validating sentences by a New Zenland court-martial. The Minister of Defence denied that there were any cases requiring whitewashing. No injustice had been done bv anyone, but he was advised by tho Crown Law officers that the clause was necessary in war time. Mr Wilford said that if the facts of the Fitzgerald case were as putto hini, tho Minister must put his resignation in tho hands of tho Premier, and some prominent officers must also put in their resignations. It was the mo6t extraordinary case that had ever come under his notice.

Sir John Findlay suggested holding ovor the retrospective section of _ the clause till January nest, and giving the injured persons till then to bring actions. ■

The Minister accepted this proposal, but the suggestion, finding little favour, was withdrawn and tho clause added to the Bill by 33 votes to 28. Mr Anderson's amendment depriving deserters of landed property, was rejected on a division by 45 votes to 16< the Minister stating that the Cabinet had considered the proposal, and decided it was going too far." The committee agreed to a new clatlse exempting the last son in a family of which three or more sons were already at the front. A now clause, moved by Mr R. W. Smith (Waimarino), exempting the last man on the farm, waa lost by 41 votes to 6. The Bill was then reported with amendments. The amendments wore agreed to, and the Bill was read a third time. The House rose at 4.10 a.m. r THE POSITION OF TEACHERS. "A VERY FAR-REACHING AMENDMENT. (SPECIAL TO "THE PRESS.") WELLINGTON, October 2G. Questions about the effeOfc of the Expeditionary Forces Bill upon school teachers werg asked in tho Houso today. Tho Hon. R. H. Rhodes 6aid tllftt the previous evening tho House had passed a clause in tho Expeditionary Forces Bill exempting school teachers from service. Members accepted defeat on that clause, and if it was passed by the Upper House nothing moFe would be said about it. "What he desired to know was JiOW it would affect teachers who had been called up in tho ballot, but wlio .were not yet in camp, and hotv it would affect those teachers flow in eaftlp, and how it would affect thofce teachers flaw serving at tho front?

Sir JaffiGs Allen said that fis far as he could make out the amendment pafesed the previous night wis vefy far feaching, it Would take out of. the Reserve all teachers who had not been called up, and would exempt every teacher who became 20 year's of age hereafter. He was not QUite siifo as to this point, but he thought it would exempt all those serving In eatnp, aiid all those serving sentences imposed by courts-martial. He did not think it WQ/uld affect those already iii the Expeditionary Fofce. or those on setvico at the front;

Mr Rhodes: Or those who have en T listed voluntarily ? Sif James Allen said that he was ndt quite sure oh this point. The Reihuera school _ teachers, in a telegram to Mr J. S ; Dick&bii, M.P., make fen emphatic protest agaiilfet the exemption of school tedcheiijj from military service. They regard exemption as unfair to those who are 'Serving, fes slighting the memory of thoee Who have fallen, and as uriWorthy of those whoi are training youtll of this country iii the highest ideals of patriotism and civic duty ; Replying to Ih\ Newman, Sir Jaines Allen said he could not gay what Would be the position of clergymen of the Testimony of Jesus sect, who were now in prison as conscientious objectors if the Exneditioiiary Forces Act Amendment Bill became law as passed by the House.. That. Would probably be fdi' the Military Set-vice Boards or someone else to decide.

BILL IN LEGISLATIVE

COUNCIL.

EXEMPTION OF TEACHERS' CLAUSE THROWN OUT.

(srECiAli TO "fHB I'll ESS.")

WELLINGTON, October 26

Itt moving tho second reading of the Expeditionary Forces Dill in the Legislative Council to-night, Sir Francis Bell said tho clause relating to the exemption of fclergy and the amendment added by the House exempting school teachers were debateable. He did hot believe that any real objection Could bo taken to the exemption of the clergy. With regard to thd teachers, he could say, as an ox-Minister of Education, that tho depiction of the ranks of tho tcachors had rcached a stage whero some effort to maintain the efficiency pf the schools became essential. The clause covered a class of persons for whom it might not have been possible to provide special exemption. Ho hfelieVed that the replacing of male teachers by female teachers in boys' classes vfas A great disadvantage, both to the teachers attd tho taught. If the necessity for the exemption of teachers was admitted, then the Marist Brothers •wero entitled to share the exemption. "These Brothers were engaged entirely in teaching work in schools maintained by a denomination that did hot think it right to send its children to secular schools. Tho position was that the House had granted exemption to all teachers in order to keep from service 4 mere handful of Marist Brothers. Education could be dispensed l with for a year or two if the necessity arose. Tho Hon. J. Macgregor said the House had provided a general exemption for teachers solely with the object of exempting a small body of Marist Brothers. He did not object to tho exemption of Marist Brothers, but the clause adopted by tho House had introduced a dishonest issuo. Ho would vote for the deletion of the whole clause. He would bo prepared later to Vote for tho exemption of Marist Brothers in a straightforward way. The Hon. J. G. W. Aitken said tho women teachers, who wero already running many schpols single-handed, could carry on the work as a temporary expedient. Sir Francis Bell, in reply, said it was so secret now that Ministers had not

been agreed upoa tho point under discussion. Ksagreements of that kind wero bound to occur in a Coalition Government. His own opinion regarding tho exemption of teachers had not been moulded by the division in tho Houso of Representatives. Ho and' tho Minister of Education had been in favour all along of tho provision now made. Tho Bill was read a second time and committed.'

. Clause 8, containing tho provisions for exemptions was postponed on the motion of Sir Francis Bell, and the remaining clauses were put through Comniittee without debate.

cSir Francis Bell said that ho 'wished to move an amendment to cl&uso 3, making it clear that the exemption applied only to teachers who were teachers on tho passing of tho Act, and who continued to work at their profession. It would not apply to men who entered the profession after tho passing of the Act. Ho would moVe, also, to doloto sub-section 2, which had been intended to provide that clergymen now in camp should be entitled to discharge. This provision had been in the original clause, and owing to tho inclusion of teachers in tho exemption, it now Bad a much wider scope than originally intended.

Tho first amendment proposed by Sir Francis Bell was adopted. Sub-section 2 was struck out on Sir Francis Boll's motion.

The Council then divided on the ques. tion of the retention of tho clause ai amended, and struck it out by 11 votes to 4. The division list -was ns follows:— *■ For tho Clause. Bell Mapinnity Hall-Jones Paul Against the Clause. Aitken Morgan Buchanan Moore Barr Maogregor v Carson Simpson Collins T. Mac Gibbon Eamshaw On the Minister's motion progress was then reported on the Bill.