HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Northern Advocate, 4 September 1913, Page 3

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

DEFENCE ACT STATISTICS

The >iouse met at 2.30 p.m. The Hon. J. Allen laid on the table of the House a return giving the following figures in connection with the Defence Act. Number liable for service, .5.'f,139; enrolled, 39,601; medically unfit, 6050; summoned for breaches of the Act, 4229. Mr Laurenson (Lyttelton) said the figures showed that at least 1 2 per cent, of the youth liable to serve were being prosecuted, and that fact led him to believe that the system was not as successful as many peop"e supposed. Mr G. W. Russell (Avon) said the figures presented showed that 29,000 had registered in addition to those who are senior cadets, and 6000 had been treated as medically unfit, which left 48,000 between the ages of 1 8 and 25. The question the Min--4 iter had to solve was how- far the universality of the system was possible. The responsibility was on the Minister to see the system through, or to say it had failed, and to bring down some other system. It was unfair and un-British that certain of our youths were doing their duty to the country and the others went scot free. Mr Anderson (Mataura), Mr Withy (Riccartbn), and Mr Payne (.Grey Lynn ) also spoke. Tlic Hon. J. Allen, replying, said Mr Russell had assumed that the S:;,(Mill were liable for service. That was incorrect. Those who were now L.-;. 2-1, and 25 years of age should be deducted from the 8:5,000 Something like -j:;,000 or 25,000 were of those ages, making the total eligible G<M>oo. Senior cadets registered between 14 and IS years on June 13th,1913, numbered 41,935. Those were not included in the figures in the return. *"~~ WK3TPORT HARBOUR BOARD COMMITTEE. The chairman of the Westpon Harbour Board Committee, Mr l-.ee (Oaniani), presented the report of Hip committee. It stated that so far as

the Minister of Marine knew. Mr Simpson was a satisfactory and proper person to be appointed, and that Mr Gillon's appointment was a satisfactory and proper one.

Mr Isitt (Christchurch North) contended that the committee was set up to whitewash the Minister for Marine and to talackwash the member for Nelson. It now remained for the Government to state to. what extent they wero prepared to recognise cleanliness and probity and morality in public life.

Mr Atmore (Nelson) said he had never seen a better example of the futility of party politics than in the finding of that committee. He agreed with Mr Isitt that the committee was set up simply to whitewash Mr Fisher and blacken himself. If the Minister of Marine would not take steps to secure the removal of Mr Simpson from the Board he hoped the Leader of the House would take the matter up and remove the blot from public appointments. If the Government did not take steps to put the matter right and remove the man from the Board they would have to be responsible for the assumption that Mr Simpson was the kind of man they desired to appoint to public bodies.

The Hon. F. M. B. Fisher (Minister of Marine), said he staggered when he heard the charges against him. Not one letter had been received, and nothing had been done in Westport objecting to Mr Simpson's appointment. When he stated in the House thai he would ask Mr Simpson to resign if the charges were found to be correct, he did not realise that the character of the man was what it was, and he had considerably modilied Jiis ideas since hearing the evidence adduced before the committee The Mouse adjourned at r..30 p.m. EVENING SITTING. When the House resumed at 7.30 p.m., the discussion on the Westport Harbour Committee was continued. The report was adopted, and the House rose at 11.40 p.m.