MORE CRITICISM

Grey River Argus, 16 August 1934, Page 8

MORE CRITICISM

POLICE OFFENCES BILL. WELLINGTON, August S. Mr Cobbe, moving the second reading of the Police Offences Amendment Bill, said it repealed the bulk of the provisions of the War Regulations Continuance Act, 1920. The object was to place police offences regulations in a proper place under the Police Offences Act. It was incorrect to say the penalty under the Act was made three months’ im prisonment. to avoid trial’ by jury. The Bi 1 applied to employers in the vase of a lock-out. Mr Schramm opposed the measure and asked the urge came from to make the regulations part of the permanent legislation of the country All the regulations should have been repealed as there was no need for them. There was sufficient leg sat ion already on the Statute Book to dea’ (with strikes and lockouts or anything of that kind. He had neve - seen any

one prosecuted for seditious or unlawful lock-out. He did not think he wou’d so long as the present Government was in power. Labour was the only thing the workers had to sell. The land-nwner or wool-grower could withhold his land or wool from sale if he desired, and could fix his own price. Whv could the worker not sei’ his labour power •or withhold it if he desired? Yet that was classed as a seditious strike. The Government was bringing in those provisions to use them against workers who would be discontented in the next year or so. The Law Society did not ask Tot the measure, and he defied the Minister to produce any resolution asking for it. The passing of su-h legislation •would lessen the people’s respect for Parliament. It should be resisted to Hie utmost.

Mr Lee said the Minister of Finance was the man behind the legislation, just as he was the man who caused the repeal of the Arbitration Act. Tt was inevitable that such legislation should follow the prolonga-

trou of the life of Parliament! Th Government knew that if a ma were brought before a Court charge with seditious striking, no jury woul convict, therefore it gave the potwe t\» convict him to a civil servan There could be no such thing as seditious lock-out. He asked the Alii ister to deline it. Air Savage said they had been tol the provisions were ’aw already Parliament had been sitting fiv weeks* yet they were asked to pr* laws tliev alreadv had. He though all laws of a repressive nature woul find an origin in the economic coudi lions. The Government should set t work to remedy ‘those economic con ditions. instead of bringing down re pressive legislation. He supposed lai er on they would be told they wer wasting the time of the House, ye it appeared they were now filling i time < awaiting Government legisla tion. He protested against that meth od of wasting time and the coun try’s money. He hoped the condition would never make it necessary fo the present legislation to react oi the present Government. There • more important measures v should have been ready for the L