THE DEFENCE SCHEME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14985, 6 May 1912, Page 7

THE DEFENCE SCHEME.

CASE OF PASSIVE RESISTERS. In answer to the statement by Mr. J. E. Baylor, president of the Auckland branch of the International Arbitration and .'Peace Association, to the effect that it had. been promised that there would be no further imprisonments under the De- ; fence Act until Cabinet had gone into the question, the following telegram has been received from the Hon. A. M. Myers, Minister for Defence:—"As the .: Prime Minister is absent from Wellington, the telegram signed by yourself and Mr. * .Morris, has been delivered to me. You ar *;: labouring under a misapprehension, as the Prime Minister and myself have always, intimated that the Government could- not interfere with the existing law. The question of remitting a portion of ; the term of sentence is now under consideration." .Mr. Taylor has telegraphed in reply 18 'follows:—" Thanks for telegram. If V°w Government can remit a portion of w»;sentence, can it not also defer exactJol» of all penalties until the whole quesW| has been decided by Ministry, or, bettsjr still, submitted to Parliament next ) **"? This would be in accordance with Prime Minister's statement published j» Auckland dailies on April 4, as follows : _! Neither the previous Cabinet nor the present Cabinet believed that it was fcv intended to put our lads into a common gaol, to be clothed with gaol garments, and to have their finger-prints taken like common criminals.' Will the Cabinet act up to this explicit statement [ immediately? Kindly reply." i