THE DEFENCE BILL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 691, 16 December 1909, Page 6

THE DEFENCE BILL.

When Sir' Joseph Ward moved, to report progress on the Defence Bill early yesterday morning, it was generally felt that the Bill was in no great pferil, arid that sleep, and reflection .would' show the Prime Minister ,the, unwisdom /of per-: ' mitting aVfit of: irritation to' interfere with the prospects of the most important measure, that is; likely to appear, on the Statute Book this year. : It: was with ,no little astonishment, therefore, that'those who are attending to the proceedings in Parliament iound yesterday that the Bill had been placed well down the Order Paper. .Tho 'Prime Minister's surprising*, sensitiveness during,. Tuesday night's session, and.the further fact that he is a very recent convert indeed to the, idea of compulsciry training, have unfortunately conveyed the impression to a good many people that he is looking for some' kind of , excuse to drop the!-"Bilk, While : we. must admit that Sir Joseph Ward's attitude afforded- some ground for the suspicion that his desire to pass the, Bill-into law. was not so keen'to-day as it appeared to be a ; fortnight ago; wo should indeed regret to think,, that this actually was the case. We prefer to believe that he is feeling ,the strain of the session: and that his words wero tho outcome of a momentary irritation rathor than tho result of a premeditated plan. There was really no, justification for the resentment, he displayed to tho amendments moved.. The proposal that,'.!the.: regulations made under the Bill should be laid before Parliament was 'so eminently a proper one that those opposing it were quite unable to advance a single reason why it should/not be adopted.; Yet the Prime Minister opposed the amendment with all. its: power, and he actually succeeded in whipping up members to support him in rejecting what not one of them can possibly find a sound reason for rejecting. As the debate proceeded the. Prime' .Minister's irritation . inr creased, and his refusal to accept the'' suggestion to postpone consideration of , the clause providing: for the confiscation: of the •funds' of volunteer: corps placed him in a very awkward position. : The chief fact, to bo borne in mind, however, just now is the desirableness of passing the Bill. The Government must therefore be given no excuse for any further trifling with its fortunes. When it again comes before the House members must of course do their duty in attempting to remedy such weaknesses as may, exist, but on minpr points they may well waive their objections. This courso may lead to the necessity for an amending measure next year, but. better that than the public interest shall suffer still more severely, by the dropping of the Bill. Those who support tho principle of the Bill while they oppose the Government's methods of forcing it through can quite easily make the situation clear to the genoral public. They can show: that they are driven, by their concern for the Bill, to abstain from criticism of any close and detailed character.' The public can be trusted : to draw tho correct .conclusion. No doubt it might bo politically advantageous to the opponents of the Government to insist upon their rights to criticise such an'important moasure; it' would not be unhelpful to; thorn to havo tho Government in tho position of having shrunk from the obligations which, the Bill imposes on the Minister for Finance. Biittho Opposition has always in the ~ past preferred to set the. public interest before party advantage, and it should dp ■ i s-j on' this occasion—while taking pain),. ■,

of course, to explain the circumstances. The Bill cannot come into operation all. at once: there will be time for amendment later oh. The great thing is"to,get tho principle of compulsory training on to the Statute Book. If the thing is not done this year, it may noyer be done.' Tho present is the most favourable time , to take this important step." It must not : be forgotten'that the Piume Minister. was iintil a few months ago a fierce cnomy of compulsory training, and sudden conversions are as often as not undone by. equally sudden back-slidings. ,