CONSERVING HAN-POWER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16824, 15 April 1918, Page 4

CONSERVING HAN-POWER

CONTROL OF INDUSTRIES. NEW POWERS SUGGESTED. NATIONAL SERVICE MEASURE. [DT TELEGRAPH.—SrECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTON, Sunday. A NEW clause in the Finance Bill, giving the Government additional power to make war regulations in respect to national service, was debated at length yesterday.' The clause provides for power to make provision, by regulation, for dialing with any of the following purposes:—"(a) Procuring, exacting, enforcing, controlling, and regulating national service as hereinafter defined in New Zealand during the present war; (b) prohibiting or restricting any service, employment, occupation, business work or industry; (c) regulating the remuneration of national service, 6ubject, however, to the Arbitration Act and any awards or industrial agreements." The expression "national service" is defined as meaning all service, employment, occupation, business work or industry, whether under the Crown or under any other employer, or in&pendent of any employer, which is deemed to be essential to the public welfare, and includes not merely personal service, but also the use of any factory, workshop, business premises, machinery, plant or appliances for any purpose deemed essential to the public welfare. The clause was criticised at considerable length, several members expressing the opinion that its operation might prejudice the interests of wage-earners in some manner. The absence of knowledge of th* nature of the regulations was especially complained of.

Position of Picture Shows. It was pointed out that the clause would give the Government power to deal with the reorganisation of man power if the necessity arose in certain non-essential industries. It might be necessary to reduce , the labour employed therein, or to close I them altogether. Persons thus released could bo employed in essential industries. Mr. L. M. Isitt (Christchureh North): What about picture shows ? Mr. Massey : I think they are a nonessential industry. The people employed in running picture theatres, he continued, might be employed in some more important occupation. The Government would not allow the clause to be used for the purposes of private gain, and it would be carefully administered by competent men. A Member: Who is tho Minister who will administer it? Mr. Massey said that if he were here he ■would undertake the administration of it himself. He added that it would take some time to ms.ke arrangements for putting the powers into effect. The clause was not a new thing in our legislation, but merely an extension of the existing law. The provisions of the clause had been asked for by tho National EfficiencyBoard. „,. A Member : What about the rich men ? Mr. Massey : If the powers are brought into operation they will apply to the rich as well as to the poor. No harm will bo done to the wage-earners by the clause. I When the regulations are drafted any proviso necessary to safeguard wageearners can be included. Women Roady i! Necessary. The Hon. G. W. Russell said that he believed that, if necessary, 20.000 women could be organised within three months to undertake clerical and other occupations. There were reports of doctors running about tourist resorts whilst country people were dying for lack of medical attention. School boys could be utilised for harvesting and drivers of traction engines might be trained to drive railway engines to relieve men going to the front. Mr. J. McCombs (Lyttelton) moved an amendment that a proviso be added to the clause to the effect that no labour should be transferred from one occupation to another for the purpose of private gain. Sir Joseph Ward said ho was opposed to the clause being used for private gain, but it was impossible to lay down the I hard and fast rule proposed in the amendment. After further remarks the Prime Minister expressed his willingness to add a ' provision that any regulations made under the clause should not come into operation until the House had had an opportunity bf considering them. Mr. G. Anderson (Mataura), and Mr. D. Buick (Palmerston), protested against the House allowing itself to be brow-beaten by a small coterie of memoers. Sir Joseph Ward suggested that the clause should be held over for further consideration on Monday, and this was agreed to. Clause He-inserted in Council. The Bill was sent to the Legislative Council immediately afterwards. The Council, on the motion of Sir Francis Bell, reinserted the national service clause which was strongly opposed by the Labour members, the Hons. J. T. 'Paul and J. Barr. Discussion continued until a few minutes after midnight when the motion to add the clause to the Bill was carried. The Bill, as amended, will bo reported back to the House to-morrow, when further discussion may bo expected. Sir Francis 801 l explained that his only reason for adding the clause in that way was to simplify the procedure. When the clause was held over in the House it had been intended to bring it down again on Monday by Governor's Message, but by adding it in the Council the same effect would bo attained in a simplo manner.