NATIONAL PEACE COUNCIL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10925, 14 November 1913, Page 8

NATIONAL PEACE COUNCIL.

A meeting of the National Peace Council was held last night in the rooms, Cathedral Square, Mr T. W. West presiding. Correspondence was received from the Minister of Defence and from Messrs Davey, "Witty, Isitt, Ell and Russell, members of Parliament, in reply to the Council's protests that letters addressed to the Minister of Defence were answered by a military official. ' The American Peace Foundation wrote wishing the Council success in obtaining the repeal of the Defence Act. The "West of Scotland Peace and Arbitration Society wrote forwarding a resolution deprecating compulsory military service in New Zealand as being detrimental to the best interests of the colonic and the Empire, commercial, social and political. The following resolutions were passed unanimously:—" That the attention of the National Peace Council having been called to the arrest of leading members of the United Federation of Labour, and to the fact that bail has not been allowed them, and that they are in prison doubled guarded by men with loaded rifles, who have special orders to shoot it necessary, the Council claims that this behaviour savours largely of the movement to establish a military despotism in New Zealand, and it 'strenuously protests against the brutality of such treatment of men presumed by law to be innocent of the charges brought against them"; "that in view of the fact that in no centre was any disturbance caused in connection with the Labour dispute until the enrolment of special constables, the National Peace Council asks the Government not to enrol special constables in Christ-church or Lyt-telton. The Council suggests that the course most conducive to the maintenance of law and order would to insist on both sides meeting together and arranging a settlement by reason. The Council would point out that a- resort to force would not effect a settlement. but would be merely a temporary cessation of hostilities": "that the City Council and the Lyttelton Harbour Board and Borough Council be asked to use all their powers during the continuance of the present strike in "Wellington to prevent cargo boats from entering Lyttelton harbour to load or unload, as the coming of any such boats for this purpose might be pleaded as justification for -holding the military and naval services in readiness for action, and for the enrolment of special constables, to the endangering of the public peace."