WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11763, 29 July 1916, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

WAR REGULATIONS. DISEASE AND DRINK. (Special to the "Star.") WELLINGTON, July 28. The War Regulations 13ill an committee occupied tlio House of Representatives all last night on to tho small hours of tins morning, and produced one of tho most animated discussions, or sevies of discussions, that liavo been heard this session. Early in the evening something like a, sensation was occasioned b.v Sir Joseph Ward explaining how the " anti-shout-ing clause came to appear in the- measure. During the recess, iu tho courso of a conversation with a gentleman " high up in the prohibition party," ho had gathered that the prohibitionists wore less eager for early closing that they were for " anti-shouting " legislation, and he had communicated this fact to the Cabinet, with the result that a clause which ho and' his colleagues regarded as a reasonable compromise, was inserted in the Bill. He made thig explanation so that tho House might understand tho position so tar as he was concerned. When Mr Isitt, whom everyone had identified as the gentleman " high up in the prohibition party," caught the eye of the chairman a few minutes later, he expressed' deep regret that any misunderstanding should have arisen between the Minister of Finance and himself in regard to tlie conversation that took place between them during the recess. He had not the slightest doubt that the Minister had given his honest recollection of their conversation, but it was due to himself and to his friends to say that it differed entirely from his own recollection. He had no authority to bargain on behalf of the prohibition party, and ho certainly had no intention to commit it to any arrangement. COMPROMISE BY MISUNDERSTANDING.

Mr Isitt admitted that he liad discussed the subject of "anti-shouting" with Sir Joseph Ward. Both the principals in the misunderstanding, indeed, were perfectly frank find obviously sincere. The member for Cliristchurch North had urged' upon Sir Joseph that a great majority of the people were anxious to put a stop to shouting during war time, and that if the Government would introduce legislation to give effect to the very general desire it would do something to allay the discontent amongst the temperance section of the commuity. No doubt this statement, which may have conveyed to the listener a very different impression from the one the speaker intended, was responsible for the misunderstanding The Primo Minister, who followed Mr Isitt, recounted what Sir Joseph had communicated to the Cabinet concerning the conversation, and added that if Ministers had not understood the prohibitionists would l be satisfied with antishouting legislation probably the clause would not have appeared in the Bill. His own opinion was that the prohibition of shouting would do far more to discourage promiscuous drinking than •would any shortening of the hours. . Nearly all the subsequent speakers made passing allusions to the subject, several of them seizing the opportunity to rally the member for Cliristchurch North, more or loss humorously upon the part he had played in the negotiations, and when tne clause dealing with anti-shouting was put to the vote it was carried by fifty-six to fifteen, practically tvery available member of the Houso taking part in tho division.

THE SOCIAL EVIL. Before the debate on the short title of the Bill, which offered wide oppor- j tunities for discussion, settled down to j iteration and reiteration on the subject of early closing, the other clauses of the Bill received some attention i;rom members. No one seemed particularly interested in the provisions for placing further restrictions upon the> enemy's trade or on the proposals for facilitating the administration of soldiers' wills, they being mainly of a teahnical character; but there were objections from several quarters to giv•ine the Government power to deal with certain phases of the social evil b.y regulation. At a later stage Mr Hornsby moved an amendment to the effect that no regulation should be issued that would permit the arrest of any person "others wise than under the process of law now in foroe." The fear of the mover And the supporters of the amendment was that the adoption of the Minister's proposal might lead to the revival of the obnoxious features of the measure dealing with this subject which was removed from the Statute Book not so very long ago, after years of strenuous and persistent agitation by the women's organisations, in the country. The Attorney-General and the Minister of Health refused to accept Mr Hornsby's amendment, holding that the existing law would not enable them to deal with some of the more flagrant developments of the evil, but they gave the House the most positive assurance that no regulation that would permit of persons being arrested on mere suspicion or that Avould be in any way humiliating to women would be issued. They had not the slightest intention of reviving the objectionable features of the old law. I In spite of this assurance the oppoI nents of the clause insisted upon, going to a division and suffered defeat by 54 to 16.