THE COMPULSION BILL.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 14196, 7 June 1916, Page 7

THE COMPULSION BILL.

(From Our Own Cokuespondent.)

W^Kngton, June 6. By a frank invitation • for assistance to make the Military Service Bill the best possible product of the whole House, and not of Cabinet alone, Mr Allen gave the Committee proceedings oir the Bill a good start/in the House of Representatives. Ihe Government lost no time in getting the House down.to business, only jndispen* sable formalities being permitted to intervene. The Cabinet's attitude in relation to the House over amendments showed a good feeling, which is likely greatly to facilitate work in Committee, which at best must be difficult. ..<*

Mr Wilford at the outset surmised that Cabinet must have given ?rear. consMeration to the Bill, and that it represented opinions for which the Government had good reasons. Would the Minister take the House into his confidence frankly regarding the reasons which weighed' ..with Cabinet; it would help matters? Mr Allen: I want the Bill-to emerge from . Committee as the Committee's Bill. ,The Cabinet has given the Committee a lead, but will leave it to the Committee to suggest amendments. There is no party in the House, and so far as I am concerned I want members to treat the Bill purely from a national, not a political point of view, and be just as frank as Cabinet.