END OF THE WAR

Otago Witness, Issue 3442, 2 March 1920, Page 42

END OF THE WAR

REVOCATION OF WAR REGULATIONS. (From Oub Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, February 24.° Though New Zealand, like the Mother Country, haa proclaimed the ending of the war on January 10, no immediate effect is produced by .this aotion. In other words, nothing happens automatically because of the proclamation. The War Regulations Act was passed in 1914, ■ and an amending Act was passed in 1916. The 1916 Act provides that all amendments and all regulations under tho different Acts shall, unless sooner repealed or revoked, remain in operation for one year, after the war or for such shorter period" thereafter as the Governor-General may, by proclamation made after the war, determine. What will probably now be done will be the gradual revocation of the laws and regulations as they become unnecessary. The conditions resulting from the war make it imperative that certain regulations should remain in force for some time yet, and it would not be in the interests of the dominion to revoke them at the present juncture. This is, at all events, the opinion expressed today by a very eminent legal authority. When it was' mentioned to him that it was understood that Canada had already made a clean sweep of all ita war regulations, the authority referred to expressed doubts as to the accuracy of this statement; but,_granting its truth, all he. could say was that Canada had a very much worse Government than New Zealand. As we have had some five years of war laws and regulations,, any statement regarding them must be of a very elaborate nature. It is understood that the Crown Law Office is now engaged in the preparation of such a statement.