HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Evening Post, Volume XCI, Issue 128, 31 May 1916, Page 8

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

The House of Representatives resumed at 2.30 o'clock this afternoon.

Further petitions were presented praying that hotel bars be closed for -the period of the war at. 6 p.m.

Mr. Payiie gave notice to introduce the Relief of Soldiers' Dependents' Bill, the Baby Bonus Bill, a Limitation of Area Holding Bill, and Taxation on Unearned Increment and Sale of Land Bill.

Mr. J. A'igor Brown gave notice to ask the Defence Minister whether he would take steps to provide the National Reserve with rifles. Mr. Payne gave notice 'to. ask the Minister of Defence further questions regarding officers of alleged German extraction. In reply to a question by Mr.- Vigor Brown, the Minister of Defence said that the general experience was 'that men who underwent minor operations for the purpose of enlisting were not fit to I undergo training for six months. Dr. Thacker : One month ! /Mr. Allen replied -that his authority for the statement was Surgeon-General Henderson. : The debate on the second reading of the Military Service Bill was then resumed. ' Mr. J. Craigie said he considered that the Bill should have been introduced previously. Many' married men with four or five children bad been killed: 'Another reason why he was in favour of the; Bill ,was. that under . the present system there was no equality of sacrifice. Referring to the contention of Labour that the wealthy men were not playing their. part, he said that he knew many rich men who had gone to the war. Our noble Allies, the French and the other nations, had the compulsion scheme, and it was this scheme that -was going to win the war. . . (Left sitting.)