PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 318, 6 July 1912, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

FRIDAY, JULY 5, 1012. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. By Telegraph—Press A»sociation. Wellington, Last Night. The Council met at 2.30, and the Speaker with the members proceeded to Government House to present the Ad-dress-in-Reply to His Excellency. On resuming a message from the Governor was received, notifying that a vacancy had occurred on the Council through the absence of Wi Pere. j The Council adjourned until Wednesday. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. BUSH SICKNESS. The House met at 2.30. The Prime Minister, replying to a question re bush sickness, said that the Department was looking for a larger farm than it at present possessed to work on. As soon as that was located the Cabinet would approve of the purchase of it. At the present time some million and a half acres were affected by bush sickness, arid ten millions of money was concerned. THE DEFENCE ACT. Mr. Payne (Grey Lynn) rose, on the presentation of the defence report, and said that the time had now arrived for i a full discussion of the compulsory clauses of the Defence Act. He held that > the country was not getting an adequate 1 return for the amount spent on compulsory training, which did not conform with the best traditions of the British I Empire. They should get a mo":-'efficient service out of the amount being .-pent on the scheme. In his idea, two thousand men would be ideal to protect the country by guerilla warfare, with the assistance of an aerial ilee.t and marine mines. He objected to the suggestion implied j by the compulsory clauses of the Act that New Zealanders would not fight unless compelled to do so. All men earning over £SOOO a year should take their place beside the youths of the country, i Mr. Wilford "(Ilutt) said that Mr. j Payne did not understand the position, i If he would broaden his vision he would see that there was grave danger appar- i ent. He did not know of a worse danger which existed. He could inform him that there were fifty thousand drilled Japanese in Honolulu. In New Caledonia and the Philippines a similar state of affairs existed. The safety of New Zealand depended on the maintenance of the British Navy. If the fleet was defeated in the North Sea or the Mediter- ■ ranean, that would be the end of New Zealand. It would promptly be collared by tlie Japanese or Chinese. He would abolish the age limit, and make every man come out. What was absolutely necessary in warfare was discipline, and j that could only be acquired by training. I He hoped the compulsory clauses of the ' Act would be retained. •Mr. llindmarsh (Wellington South) ob- j jected to the possibilities of a military { caste growing up in the country as a re-1 suit of the present system of militarism, j Every time a State or public function j occurred, all the best positions were j acquired by the military. As much j money had been spent last year on mili-1 tary training an had been spent on | schools. I Mr. Isitt (Christchurch North) urged-, a modification of the compulsory clauses J of the Act. The chances of invasion by | the Japanese or Chinese were very re- I mote for twenty-five years. j Mr. Roberts in (Otaki) said that the j Act was not democratic, nor did it provide for defence. He wanted a modifica- ! tion of the compulsory clauses. The Prime Minister said that the Government was resolved to persist in the system of military defence. The Govern- ] ment had asked Lord Kitchener for a report on the defence of the country, and they had endeavored to live up to the advice he tendered. He thought that they should train the young men of the, country to defend it. He would go fur- 1 ther, and say that they shall train them. He would not say that the scheme was perfect. Every such scheme must 'have a time to develop. So far, the working 1 of the scheme had been most successful, and the country was deeply indebted to the farmers and employers for the manner in which they had assisted. Modifi-J cations were necessary in connection | with imprisonment and also for conscien- j tious objectors. Of the latter there were two classes: those who wished to shirk their obligations and responsibilities, and] those who were really anxious to do) their duty, but objected to militarism, and were willing to serve in some other way. He hoped that something would be done for the latter class. The statement that defence had cost more than education was incorrect. Military defence cost £400,080 for the year, and education over a million. In his opinion defence should occupy the first position in any Government. Mr. Myers (Auckland East) said that the present was not the time to go into the whole matter of defence. He , regretted the attitude taken by Mr. I Payne. No sane person could take objection to young lads being taken in hand and disciplined mentally, morally and in every other way. The matter had. been thoroughly investigated by men who had spent their whole lives in studying the question, and their views must be taken as expert.