PARLIAMENT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2579, 29 September 1915, Page 9

PARLIAMENT

NATIONAL REGISTRATION THE COUNCIL'S VIEWS The Legislative: Council .met at 2.30 p.m. , The Hon. SIR FRANCIS BELL mov- . fed the second reading-of the National Registration Bill. It was quite possible, he said, that .we might be called on for still greater effort, and the Bill made provision for the Government to ' know what it was still possible'for us to do. • - It was only possible to know our resources after wo had had a national stock-taking. The Hon. R. MOORE thought that they should not silently acquiesce in such a measure, but should let the Government and people know . to what lengths'they were prepared to -go in supporting the principle.' There had been a considerable amount of. criticism levelled at the measure, and some of it had been destructive. Ho thought, however, as far as the general public was. concerned, that they largely favoured giving; the Government the power under the Bill. Those opposed to the measure were the "peaco sec- '. tion," who had strongly opposed the Territorial system. The council of that "peace .society" had sent'out a circular 'opposing the .'measure, and any nian " who could write such-stuff as was in tho circular was'only fit to bo sent to Sunny.sidoor Porirua. The United. Federation .'of Labour , ( had . also been sending out circulars, and': ho.thbught it should bo shown how they were at 1 - '■ ■tempting to influence public feeling. A ■man; who' would -stand', at .'.the. present time taking up an attitude of "dignified neutrality" was a traitor to his coiin- , try.. - Those' men. said that;they, had adopted thai dignified neutrality in •' tliis time so that the. Empire , would not bo embarrassed. ; The man who signed the letter was well-known in Cbrist6hurch,-whexe, ho .would bear much. ■ weight, • but the circular went through the country as the opinion of others. He did not tliink the men of that Federation held those views. The Bill was not' aiming at conscription. Ho 'was opposed to conscription .-in ordiiiary tunes,' but. the - question was ...whether' thei.time had not arrived when compulsion was necessary. .Ho was going to' back up the Government; in any steps they were prepared to take, .if it was ; going to assist the Empire during this war. -

Tho :Hon. ; W. EARNSHAW thought the remarks made by the Hon. R. Moore were uncalled for - and, unwarranted. He spoke about two societies who held strong .views on war.- He let. the Society of Friends down lightly,' but; could not the Social Democrats have as strong views on tile war as the Quakers? It was only fair to say_ that- when they had stated they had taken up a "dignified! neutrality" that was only a fair Btatemelit. Many of the members ; of that body did not ,hold those views, 'sis was shown by 'the fact that many of them had gone out to fight. Mr. Moore: I only, said that"the leaders misled them.' . ; Mr. Eariisbaw said that he was certain the Government would not demand anybody, to go and fight unless the ne> cessity arose, but they should have th& power to send every mail to the front, fhey should take that power beforo Parliament rose. . No man should be allowed to stand back, for' one human life, was, after all, as valuable as another. - In his inind the end was hob yet. in sight, .and. : conscription ' should' lie. the law of the! I ,before Rirluimont rose. .. ... . . » - ; The Hon. j. T. PAUL favoured the Bill. He did- not agree with the atti-

tude taken up by tho United Federation of Labour, but in fairness it should bo said that tho Bill now before tho Council was not t'fic one they condemned. Two- important alterations jiad been made. Ho urged that the cry of conscription at tho present timo was one of tho worst things that could happen. Tho_Hon. C. H. MILLS saw nothing objectionable in tho Bill. ' It only provided for the collection of nccessary information. The Hon. W. C. F. CARNCROSS commended to tho attention of the Leader of tho Council an article in that morning's Dominion, Under tho head of the "National Register." The article was an' excellent one, and tho proposal to make an addition to tho schedule ol questions should certainly bo adopted. That proposal suggested by the Dominion should be accepted, and added to the Bill. ..The Hon. A. T. MAGINNITY said that t'hero was a section of the community that was not coraiug forward, for some reason, and that was tie section thoy desired to reach. The schedule of questions would givo valuable information to t'ho Government. It' did no-t matter iriiat our religious feelings or social interests were, wo had to consider how we could best, help the Empire, irrespective of our own private interests or our own private views! He ventured to speak for every , member of tho Council, and said that the Leader would be justified in carrying to the Government the. assurance that" the Government would receive, all sympathy and help to the maximum of their services and their means. ,Tile Hon. T. MACGIBBON hoped, that the Government would go further, and take the power to have compulsory service. . If they could compeL all the fit to go to the front they would do no injustice to anyone. , ' The Hons. H. F. WIGRAM and W.' BEEHAN also spoko in support of the measure: Tho Hon. SIR'FRANCIS BELL, in answer to a question, said that he believed it was the intention of tlie Govt ernment. to exercise the powers under Clause o, to enable women to voluntarily answer a schedule. The Bill was read a second time, put through committee Without amendment, read a third time, and passed.

FIRST READINGS. The following Bills were receivedfrom the House, and read a first time: —Military Manoeuvres Bill, Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Bill, Law ..Practitioners' Amendment Bill, Census and Statistics Amendment Bill, Liglits oil Vehicles, Bill, State Advances Amendment Bill, factories' Act Amendment Bill: Tho Law. : Practitioners' Amendment' Bill-•was", read a second time, pro forma, and referred to the Statutes Revision Committee. ,i ! ' \ ■■ i . ——- I ■ v

proportional: representation. ; The Hon. SIR FRANCIS BELL moved the second reading of the Local Elections ' (Proportional ■ Representation) Amendment Bill, which amends a technical defect in the Act, and permits the adoption'of the Act. in divided boroughs. A further clause allows the adoption of tlio Act by local authorities generally. Tho Bill, was read a second time, put through' Committeo without amendment, read "a third time, and passed.

SWAMP. DRAINAGE BILL. • Tho Swamp, Drainage Bill was put through final stages, and passed.. On the third reading stage, The Hon. J.' D. ORMOND congratulated the Government on the Bill, and thought that it would enable something to be done with'! the-Pukaw'a Swamp, Hawko's Bay. - -Four thousand acres of land could be drained there, and the land would 'b'o of first-class quality.

When reclaimed and cut up into, small sections it would support a very large population. Sections of. tfrenty ■■ or thirty acres of that land would bo infiu r itely .better for returned soldiers .than. 200 or 300.acres of second or thirdclass land in scattered ' . The Council rose at i.io p.m.. till 2.30 p.m. to-day. ' ~