WAR REGULATIONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18075, 25 October 1920, Page 5

WAR REGULATIONS

REPEAL ADVOCATED. VICTIMISATION ALLEGED. (Fnoii Our Own Correspondent.) Tlmt +1, tv* NGTON, October 21. xnat the War Regulations re-enacted this session were _a piece of class legislation directed specially against the watersido workers was the allegation mado by a representative of the Waterside Workers' federation who waited on the Prime MinismL , 'i?' i, - r l, le d ,°2 ut ation consisted of liessra 1. Briudle, J. G. Bruce (secretary ot the Wellington Watersido Workers' u", 1 ) '- r an i-r E ° b erts (secretary of tho \\ ateiaide \\ orkers 1 ederation). Mr Bnndle said that tho War Regulations were oniy a cause of suspicion and discontent among the workers on tho waterside because they seemed to be so biased Mr Bruce said that tho War Regulations were no doubt necessary during the war, but their retention to-day appeared to be directed against only one section of tho public—namely, the waterside workers. Ho could not see why people ho represented b.v,, If 00 /" 0 uncler , regulations that were biought down to deal with the country's enemies. Mr Massey migh. ne able to inrpi th ,° deputation of tile reason for this in© watersiders considered that tho regulations were purely and simpy class logisla-a,-olr r,n laSS f ßy : • W hat particular regulations ai o you referring to? J„.. Bruce: T'hoso pertaining to tho kent' V fn Siwv regulations turnp 1 ° ° Wei '° a PP J y in S even to returned soldiers, some ot whom were foieigners. ihe deputation wished the regulations to be withdrawn, because the seribpfl S felt , thafc the y were being debe,c.,morc or Jfss as enemies of the country. I hey were feeling sore about tho matZ^a„H°tn r r l S Mid that r H lore were irl New y men of foreign birth who had been employed on the waterfront of this thZLfTt l r m the time at S theie had first been a waterfront. Thov had coko to him and said that it was verv i ' lfa * lr ' ' at t-hoy should be compelled to go rom t'f,r SOntaUvo o£ the and c °et frnnf ,f m f! on to work on the waterfront for their living. Had the Government ikclv tol,- 0 C^ Ct the re & u lations were liked to hinl °?i t IG , watersHJers? So man . . think that he was under a cloud ship| US rf ICl °t' r and the watersi ders had been i®, out J or fecial treatment. It had been deciclca at the Peace Conference that Heh"d°fm Wer ? to have consideration. tIJL 1 I '!■> com munication from the Internarti ' ra r l ;° rt Workers' Federation askwas the attitude taken un in Ne,y Zealand upon this matter. He did not wish to have to reply that alien workers fa® frS s tll dlirii° Übie | D the Ne , w Zealand water'removed 6 WiU ' rest «ctions had been especially. ToverlS? report froVfteoffice?s *if C * tent . ft Lotll. T* , by « -Vortl be Se K Sld tell tho deputation what wis oi thn 1- se ? unty that the officers pU'S .tuAr,,:!?, s», firs £ive ablo a °t C n Unt ° f t ' l f niselv< »; . If they were (and in leases out \l satisillctoril y doub t age m ts. He did not think the Government g on° to ° f f ■' n e° nnec tion with the reffssa sfta te 'fi!s g ?~ = cast upon the watersiders. The Govern rnent was simply doing its best to ensure tlut matters should go sraoothlv n« wharves, aiid that nothing should happen !0.03£» lot into the country, but he wished to 1-nr.w bS' ? 0P ;! ti ° n of the men Of foretn 20 or V)° b °o n in Now Zealand for or 30 years. Some of them m™ +l,„ most respectable 0 f New Zealand citizens Mr Massey, in reply, said that the men for whom Mr Roberts was speaking would thn? ?!? d,fl, ?- l y TCh " tever - He was sure tuat the pouce would not. nst- ti,„„ , suffer any hardship 0 r indignitv. Soldiers had been mentioned. If a man'was a Zt dier (and that was nroof of his was. certain that soldiers were not to bo interfered with. t> ul "o to Mr Roberts said that if a man struck hn would bo liable -under the War to 12 months' imprisonment, the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration vr ho , T wol 'W I'ablo to a fine of £10 Mr Massey: A good soldier will not'go on strike. Mr Massey added that ho deputation would find in time that the regulations were working smoothly iw- ln £ ,Cfcin S no hardship or inconvenience" Air Bruce complained that tho War Regulations put in the hands of tho Govern*be P ow er to deal more drastically \Mt.h the watersiders than with any other section of tho community. I? the Govern ment wished to safeguard the wharves it should give people civil legislation and' not war regulations.

Mr Massey said,that as a matter of fact the regulations were administered by the civil courts and were called the war rixnitiy tions to-day merely because it had become f>i habit to call them bv that name Ho believed the watersidrrs were magnifying the trouble over tTTe War Regulations! A man who kept within the four corners of the law was as free in New Zealand to-dav as he had over been.