A VITRIOLIC ATTACK.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 947, 14 October 1910, Page 5

A VITRIOLIC ATTACK.

PREMIER ATTACKS "THE ■; DOMINION." «' TRYING TO DRIVE HIM OF OFFICE." THE. BATTAIION, PAEADE." Some bitter remarks with reference, to The Dominion were made by the Prime Minister (Sir Joseph' Ward) in the House of Representatives yesterday. ;. . During the afternoon sitting Mr. Clark (If.P. for Port Chalmers) drew the' attention of Sir Joseph to a paragraph in this' journal with. reference to the; battalion parade on' Labour -Day..-. It was stated in the paragraph ■ (he remarked) that various officers .'• had informed', a Dominion reporter that the parade was killed stone dead owing to a statement in the House by the Prime-'Minister to Mr. D. MXaren, M.P.,; '.'that : the 'volunteers needn't turn out unless they liked." He (Mr. Clark) would" like to know whether there waa any truth in the statement. .It was, he ■ thought,;, only '.' fair that the men should get every encouragement until the new system was put into operation. ::';,/'.

Mr. Arnold: That-was the result: of calling out the men oil' Labour Day. Mr. Wilford (Hutt) pointed out that more than one-third of the Petone Navals were employed in the Petone workshops. On such occasions as the landing of Lord Islington the hien had -either to lose half' a day's pay or miss the parade. Under the .new scheme the men would also require to make sacrifices which would not help it.' ;:''.';-.;'■■ ' ; . -,■■• ■' Speaking with considerable warmth,; the Premier he shoidd imagine that his friends would not attach any_ importance to what The Dominion, said- about him. : The object of The Dohtnion, so far as he was concerned, was to try and drive hiin out of office. He was just as indifferent: to' the criticism in The Dominion, for it was written in 1 the interests of effete antiquated politicians, as he was to its eulogistic comments made once .in. a way to make believe that it was impartial, .which' was hot the . case. The Dominion was given to misrepbrting hiin, and then writing leading articles on its misleading reports. They would stick absolutely at nothing. Why, that morning they had nothing else but him in; their paper. .' He must he. the most ■; interesting ' subject" that they' oould .write about. -.The other; Opposition papers, Christchurch. "Press/' -Auckland! "Herald," "Otago .Daily Times," "Ha,wke's By Herald," etc., all reported him fairly and indulged in -criticism .freely to' which no one could. take Tiie Dominion, 'however," so .far;.as, he -was concerned,.was notorious.'; Instated any lie with perfect; indifference,;,!.so far as he was concerned,, and. then;; wrote upon . it. ' He could give Yhalf;a-dozcn . cases where they had ; niisreported him in : ..tho . House,-;arid twisted'.:things,'-' It did not doi'hini the. slightest harmV'personally.- '.' ."■ ;'-. .',.,:';'.',-■':;.; Proceeding to deal with the- battalion parade, "Sir Joseph said -that, the 'statemerit ..made to j the' effect that..he "had .informed: a member- ; bf. ! the': House: that; . the : Volunteers ■ need not turn ojit unless they .liked. .was, hot ■in accordance with fact. ■'. He; had stated that no- instruct tions had been issued, from headquarters for,:the : holding of' exercises pn Labour Day. It 'was, however, 1 customary .to hold daylight parades: 6n';-::'-Iiblidays; : :..'' : :yiies8 parades : - were held at the', request ;of the various companies, .'.arid,-; attendance was .voluntary;... What: was; tbe; : ieason for the poor.; attendance, he was .not iri a position -to , say.; ; .On,; the -occasion; of, the daylight; parade■ on Labour 'Day last ybar,'"-ss;.- was paid, to each man" for tending tho parade, " No fines 'were imposed for. non-attendance, asi\was;:'stated to have beenthe case..;. This yearfurthCT assistance': had. J.been : rendered',; : to ; . the volunteer, cause, -increasing:the capitation grant by; 10s. :per- man.' But ;in .consideration for this, it had discontinued; the personal-payment of ssl for: .daylight parade - made > last' rltH might., be, the: case• that;the dlscbiitinuance of, the porsonal' payment.'had; had' the of bringing about a .'smaller.'attendance this, year, but, if such .-svere • the ,case it showed; little: appreciation' of the .further 'assist-.' ance ■■' of the,.fiovernriient: by increasing tiie' capitation' grant. :On the occasion. of Labour-Day .last-year; Wntiful weather preyailed,- whereas'oh; this, occasion', the climatic conditions': were ; ; unfavourable. Ho would look into 'the 'matter which Mr. • Wilford'.;had r'aisedicas it was-a,-proper, one;;for. inquiry- '.'.'■; V -■.'.'.:- ■ :,'■ ■-,/'' "v;■■:.

; KliiLEd ; :'.!T^'^/^/;;■v ■"■.' AN :INTJ3P3TIN^ So much public- comment has been, ex;, cited over-the Labour. Day parade of the Wellington Eifle' Battalion .on day, that an/analysis.;iof. the position from the military point of /view—the legal aspect of the case as .per the Geh.eral Defence: Begulations-^wUl/be of/inParagraph 102 of the..Defence,;Act. of. 1009- sets forth that ,the. Defence 'Act, 1908,' the Military Popsions: Act, 1908, the. Official: and Defence Secrets 'Act, ,:1908, and. the Defence/Amehdmbnt-•Act,-/'I9OB, are "hereby.;' repealed,'?.:/ but ; "notwithstanding' suck .repeal":/.: : :.i :', : -■/ ;-'/;/:

:. '(a)' Air districts,'officers, /appoint-, .. roents; commissions, :i proclamations,::. ". Orders-in-Council; regulations, .orders,:;.. . warrants, - contracts,: and -instruments. '. '• 'subsisting' or inforce on .the/coming/,' : into' operation. of "this. Act, shall. ,con- : tinue for the. purposes of /this , Act /. . as fully and effectually as if they-had :/ originated under, .the Corresponding • : provisions of this .Act]; and.' accordingly.' shall;/where.' necessary," be' deemed/to . have so .'originated./!, .'."':■/ .//;/'■''■ -' That ''is-'to'' say, the".General Defence Regulations in: forao when- tho.'Act. of--1909 was passed, still; operate. Under the heading, ''Discipline of • Volunteers,' there "is included, in the list; of punishable offences "neglecting or .refusing to attend any parade, inspection, or military,, exeroise," and the.. officer, commanding! the • unit or. company - may "by : writing under; .his hand,-; order 'that, such/an offence as neglecting: or refusing to attend parade "be punished by such fine, not exceeding i6l,''.'as lie. may think Where any parado. (killed for entails expenses in; transport the permission of the Officer Commanding tire, District must be obtained, ;'and ; in tho case of/the Trentham-parade on Labour;Day,'..it ap-; pears, upon inauiry, that permission/was granted, on condition : that; attendance thereat would'.be. purely -voluntary,'.and tjiat no, fines. would :b«i .imposed—''infer--entially," it has been/«iuggested,. "a con-: dition imposed ■by District Headquarters at the instance- of theiiDetence/Minister as a matter of political expediency With : reference to tho personal: payments'to vo'luntan-s attending:- daylight parades, the., position is that paid,,daylight parades do , not now/ count towards capitation, and personal; payments for attendance at such have been discontinued. There is no'doubt that this : circumstance was a factor in the diminished muster..of the■'battalion, hut since the._day.was a holiday there' was. no; financial sacrifice 'entailed', 1 " nd ' therefore;;no; hardship in-. volved in? tho stoppage/of the personal paymenta. .. ■■'-.• ■" ■'"..: