THE CONCHIES.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume X, Issue 186, 22 July 1920, Page 6

THE CONCHIES.

DEPUTATION TO .MINISTERS. ; GENERAL ANNESTY SOUGHT. AIR. MASSEY’S VIEMS. Wellington, July 22. A deputation claiming to represent th« whole industrial and )w>litical Labour movement of New Zealand waited on the Prime Minister and Minister for Justice to-day to urge the release of all conscientious objectors and military prisoners and the declaration of a general amnesty. Mr. Holland introduced the deputation. which included representatives of the recent Labour eonforehee and Labour members of Parliament. It was urged that the Government had vindicated its position and now was the time to show mercy. Mr. Massey replying said that the request of the deputation for a eeneral amnestv must be decided by Cabinet. Some little time ago Cabinet decided to remit six months of the sentences which conscientious objectors wore .serving and ns a result of the remission 23 had been released or were just about due to be released. Some of the other men still in prison were there for criminal offences. The question of men being deprived' of civil rights was a matter for Parliament. His own position was briefly this:—“We had passed through n serious national crisis irom the point of view of Empire and of Civilisation, ami we had come through siiccessl’ully. There were a number of men who failed in r duty and I shirked th*dr duty in time of peril, and I cannot help saying that, if a man shirked his duty in the hour of peril, that man could not expect to come back in time of peace and enjoy all his privileges/’