OBJECTORS TO MILITARY TRAILING

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 263, 2 August 1929, Page 6

OBJECTORS TO MILITARY TRAILING

A PRIVATE BILL The rights of conscientious objectors aud matters relating to their exemption from military training were debated in the House of Representatives yesterday. Mr, H. G. R. Mason (Auckland Suburbs) moved the second reading of the Defehcc Amendment Bill, which . dealt with conscientious objectors - . In doing so, ho said the Bill made no change in the law as- intended by Parliament, but it contradicted the misinterpretations which had prevailed in the Magistrates Courts. He said that so long as conscientious objectors were under Defence authorities there would always be argument as to whether certain duties constituted military service, and the simplest way was. to place objectors under another authority. The exemption of divinity students was not logical, because not the individual but the Church was exempted. Constituents would want to know from, members why one Church was exempted and another was not- . •> Colonel T. W. McDonald '(Wairarapa) said he was in accord with the spirit of the Bill Mr. A. Harris (Waitemata) said the Bill aimed deliberately at the abolition of military service. The Rev. O, L. Carr (Tnnaru) thought the Bill approached a solution to the E. Parry (Auckland Central) predicted that the question would be fought out in the country before very 10 Mr. R- A. Wright (Wellington Suburbs) said. the Bill would not have the effect that, its sponsors imagined, and that the Magistrates would be in no way assisted. - Mr. J. O’Brien (Westland) said the Bill was the one Bill that would make provision -for men with a conscience. The Minister of Health (Hon. A. J. Stallworthy) said he believed the Bill was an honest effort toward solving the problem. He was generally in favour of a reconstruction of the principal Act and the law as it stood to-day 1 . The debate was adjourned until August 25. ■'