MEN IN CAOL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1573, 17 October 1912, Page 5

MEN IN CAOL.

DISCUSSION.IN PARLIAMENT. STATEMENT BY THE PREMIER. In the House of Representatives yesteil- - afternoon Ilia Prime Minister (tho Hon. \V. V. Jlns.se.y) made a statement in reply io the following questions from Mr. 13. WHtyHO Whether the Government do i\ot consider that the sentences passed on (he Waihi strikers were too severe a punishment and out of all comparison to the breach nf law committed by those who have been imprisoned ? (2) Whether they will consider, Ihe advisableness of having the sentences mitigated, and also amend the lnw so that in future the punishment inflicted should bo more in accordance with the alleged offence?

The Hon. W. F. Mnssey (I'riino Minister) replied: No sentence was passed-in the cases referred to. An application for sureties of the peace is made by complaint", not by information, nnd tin order to find sureties is not a conviction or a sentence. No fine or penalty is inflicted, but Section 18 of the Justices of the Peace Act empowers the magistrate who makes such an order to issue his warrant for the detention or custody of a defendant who refuses to find sureties. The law cannot bo amended ns proposed by tho honourable member-. Whenever surelies of the peace nro required tho order must name the period during which the defendant is required to keep the peace, and that period must necessarily be determined by the discretion of the magistrate who makes the order. It is obvious that it enn never bo a nierejy nominal neriod. These men are detained in custody, only so ]oni? as they refuse to find sureties. Their detention is due solely to their own decision, and their release can bo , obtained by themselves at nnv moment.

"Right to Use Their Tongues." Mr. ,T. Payne suggested that the period for any bond to keep the peace should not exceed three montlis in the case of men who lirnl not committal nny assault, but hail "simply n»j (lie British right to use Ilioir tongues even 'to apply opprobrious epithets to men they consider deserve them, llio reason those men won't find suretifes," , said Mr. Payne, "is that the moment they leave tlic precincts of (lie gaol their ■ muds are bound to their sides, and thoir lips are sealed for twelve months.' -They"" prefer to ronuiin Britishers." lib said, also (ha|- the Wailn Union had left; the Arbitration Act because the Court dodared it could not regulate the conditions of their, lal/our. ■ . . Mr. T. 11. J)av«y (Christclnirch East) ndyiMd the Government, to amend the Arbitration Act to bring the workers under its provisions. Mr. Jlnss?.vi Will you make a proposalP Mr. Dmvy. I should not care to «o at far as that. I want to make the Arbitrahou Act .is attractive as I possibly cnn-iJlr. Mnssey: Hear, hear!)-so that we will induce all labour to come within the scope of its provisions. Mr. J H. Bnulney (Auckland West) expressed surprise that) Sir. Payne had tried to draw a pathetic picture with a view to showing that these men had been imprisoned because they wcro upholding* British lights. Everyone knew that they were imprisoned because they had openly flouted the law. lie believed that they had gone to gaol with the idea of excit ing public sympathy, and the memW for Grey Lylm tried to persuade the public that they wcro oppressed. He, commended the exercise of tlielaw when rosort was made to violence nud intimidation, and reminded Mr. Payne that on one occasion ho was the victim of a hostile demonstration, ,-md was glad to have ponce protection. Mr. Payne: Mullen was thatP Mr. Bradney r When the people of Grey Lynn refused to henr your apology. Hβ added that he would always advocate British fair play for the workers, but as soon as they violated And flouted the kir they would lose his sympathy. Mr. Payne made a personal explanation. Ho admitted having "had one or two stormy meetings at Grey Lynn," and then ho declared that "if the law had been as strictly enforced been at Waihi, that man (Mr. Hro/hiey) would bo in gaol now."

Mr. Bradney explained tbnt the nicotinic to which lio referred w«s prio at which ho (Mr. Hrndney) had not been present. On thai occasion, Sir. Payne had to lw protected by die police from the hall to his oar.

Mr. Payne said this was absolutely .false.. DouUless Mr. Bradney. had said, it in good faith, for the incident had been , misreported in the Auckland "Star" newspaper. Mr. \V. A. Veitch* (Wangamii) said that the longer Parliament vacillated in regard to' industrial questions the more it would strengthen the hands of those who wero not prcjrared to conio to Parliament for redress. "The longer we sit here," said II r. Veitch,. "in fear and trembling that we shall say something that will accentuate the evil, the greater the evil will b?comc." Statement by Mr. Masscy. •Tho Hon. AY. F.'Mossey said that it was wonderful ho\y courageous some members wero in offering to stay here for an. other month to put through cerruin legislation; Tin's was ;their attitude in the House, but not-a' day, passed without twenty members sticking him up in the lobbies and asking him to bring the session to an ond. Mr. Payno: Take no notice of<it. v Mr. Massey: 1 do not propose U take much notice of it in future, Mr. Voitch seemed to Ik? under the impression that the Government had retrained from bringing down the Arbitration Bill because•they did not wish to have Labour legislation discussed while the present industrial crisis existed. This was not so at all. He had had a Bill prepared which was intended to alter tho constitution of the Arbitration Court, but when the crisis became acute he decided that it was not n proper time to alter tho constitution of the Court. Rβ did'not propose to make this alteration until things looked a great deal better than they did at present.

As to the Bill giving hdol and'restaurant employees a six day week, he had received applications from people nil over New Zealand asking to bo allowed to give evidence. As Minister for Labour, ho. would not be doing his duty if ho asked the Labour Bill« Ccmmitlco 'to 'refuse tin's evidence. Hut for the necessity of hearing evidence the Bill could easily be put throng)) before the end of the session. The difficulty existed, however, and he was not. sure (hat it could be overcome Hint session.

Hoverling li> iho subject cf industrial crisis, Iho I'rinie Minister said Hint Hi« origin of the present difficulty was (hat (i largo number of men had refused to take advantage of the industrial legislation on the Statute Hook, ami had gono.' outside the Act. If they had not cancelled their registration the trouble would ■ have been settled. It was , their duty, as representatives of Iho. people, to make their industrial legislation far more attractive to the workers, and employers.of (lie country than it was at present. ■