WAR REGULATIONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16916, 31 January 1917, Page 6

WAR REGULATIONS

PEOTEST FROM. FEDERATION , OF l' LABOUR. REPLY BY THE HON. J. ALLEN. v (Pra Umithd Pkkss Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, January 30. Afflst week Mr Hiram Hunter, national i eecretary of the United Federation of labour, under instructions £rom the , organisation, wroto to v the Hon. J. Allen protesting against the Government's action m putting the stringent War Regulations into operation. reSy^oif 'JF&g?"* ** io^^ " I have to acknowledge receipt of your letter of January 22, and am bo£nd to say I .that I think von look on the situation in tho wrong light. The Government, by ite ' ffln^ 113 / ft endea T our jng to preserve the I freedom of the people of this country, and TkL fW°?£ ™? their rights. The first thing to do to secure this freedom fL ']i m *. y™ and protect o «rselves firom aU tho evil consequences that would !wJ.4 German y .succeed in her entCT^A YOU m error in wrf ting aie second Paragraph of your letter, inasmnch as the War Regulations with regard to sedition-were, gazetted after Mr Semple was .arrested, and ho was not tried and convicted under those regulations. Others later on, certainly have been. With regard toyourjstatemmt that you were letaUy advised that it is a violation of the con- £? ?\i? f $ & ? Zealand to conscript men boyond the_ hunts of the shores of minion, ,this questioi was very carefullv considered by the Government, andT£ ad vice is not m accordance with that given to you. There has, therefore, beef no tempermg the Überties of the peopfe! On the; contrary every move the Govern! "-1W- ? Uldo h ? s J beeil io preserve those I^.^ 3 - m 7, you are also in error m the statement you make that the Government has not taken steps to prevent ■ of the people tCugh .their food supplies. You must be well that action was taken last year with 'regard to wheat and other • ,and what has happened quite recently with )^ C Go^^\ M nfoment /■tbe i broyernment has under careful con siderafcion the question of the wheat sup sy' Nor do you g.ye credit to.the GovernnTent for the. action taken to restrict the rise in ,pnce of meat Tho Government is earnest v anxiops to deal with this very difficult prpbem o f the rise in the prkL of f oo d .suppues m war time in an adequate manner. I do not agree with you that there any abrogation of the to say that, so far. as my judgment' goes! &T if ?^ rmm S tendencies to revoS' and I should be very sorry if you, or anv-