EMERGENCY BILL PASSED

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 282, 26 August 1939, Page 12

EMERGENCY BILL PASSED

Drastic Powers For Defence

MORE EXTENSIVE THAN IN 1914

(British Official Wireless.)

(Received August 25, 10 p.m.) RUGBY, August 25.

By the Emergency Powers Defence Bill, twelve clauses, passed today, the Government takes wide and drastic powers. It provides that the King may, by Order-in-Council, make necessary regulations lor public safety, defence, maintenance of public order, and the efficient prosecution of war and for maintaining supplies and essential services. It does not, however, authorize the imposition of any form of compulsory military service or industrial conscription. A resolution empowering the Government to pass the Bill through all its stages on the same day was carried bj' 457 votes to 4.

Tn moving the second reading of the Bill, the Home Secretary, Sir Samuel Hoare, gave a number of important explanatory assurances, which were accepted by the Opposition. He said : “The Government does nor propose to issue regulations in the course of a few days unless the situation becomes very much worse. There will be no Press censorship or suppression of public opinion till the country is involved in hostilities. The Bill will not interfere wth the labour dispute powers. The Government has sought ten times more extensive powers than in 1914 because of air warfare.”