WAR REGULATIONS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20366, 25 July 1934, Page 4

WAR REGULATIONS.

Legislation for Repeal Introduced. Til REE EXCEPTIONS. ; (“Star” Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, July 24. Legislation providing for the repeal of the much discussed war regulations, | with three important exceptions, was introduced into the House to-night. The three exceptions, which are being put into statute form, deal with the following matters, (1) Production of passports by persons arriving in New Zealand from overseas. (2) Control of wharves by the Government, in cases of public necessity. (3) Prohibition of seditious strikes and lock outs, and control of seditious literature. The War Regulations’ Repeal Bill makes provision for the total repeal of the war regulations with the exceptions as set out above. There is a clause providing that the status and powers of the Public Trustee as Custodian of enemy property is not to be affected in any way by the repeal of the regulations. Wharves and Ships. In the Harbours Amendment Bill, which gives statutory effect to certain of the regulations repealed, power is given to the Governor General to declare any wharf to be a Government wharf and to appoint controllers and assistant controllers of such wharves. Power is given to the controller to employ labour for a Government wharf for loading, unloading and despatching of vessels, and to order undesirable persons from the wharf. The controller may close a Government wharf after notice of his intention to do so has been published in a newspaper circulating in t>he district, or after notice has been exhibited on the wharf. Permits will be necessary for entry on a closed wharf, except in case of any person in the employment of the Crown, a person employed on the permanent staff of the harbour board, or any seaman or passenger belonging to any ship lying at or in the vicinity of the closed wharf. Everv person commits an offence who wilfully damages a Government wharf, who incites any other person to refuse or fail to offer or render service as a wharf labourer on any Government wharf, or who does any act or publishes any utterance intended or calculated to interfere with the effective use. control or administration of a Government wharf, or with the proper loading, unloading or despatching of any vessel lying at a Government wharf, or who conspires with any other person to prevent, delay or otherwise interfere with the proper loading, unloading and despatching of any vessel. Any constable or Customs officer is empowered to search, and detain for ; the purpose of searching, any person, ■ conveyance, package or receptacle of any description found on or about any wharf or ship. Any person committing an offence against the Act is to be liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for three months or a fine of £IOO. Other Matters. The Passports Bill empowers the ■ Governor-General-in-Council to make > regulations requiring the production of ‘ passports by persons arriving in New ■ Zealand from overseas. Persons failing ; to produce a passport are liable to three months’ imprisonment or a fine - of £IOO. ' The Police Offences Amendment Bill J gives the Governor-General power to 1 declare industries essential industries. 1 It is declared that every person commits an offence against the Act who is a party to a seditious strike or sedit tious lock-out, or who incites, encourages or procures any such strike or ~ lock-out or its continuance. It is also a an offence for persons to print, publish, r sell, distribute or have in their posQ session for sale or distribution, or bring or cause to be brought or sent r into New Zealand, any document D which incites, encourages, advises or s advocates violence, lawlessness or dis- . order, or expresses any seditious intention. j Many Questions. ■_ Opposition members gave Ministers • a lively half-hour by a series of quesE tions regarding what might be in these } measures, Mr Lee (Grey Lynn) putting a typical query whether it was proa posed to make it sedition to criticise -j the Government. £ “It is not an offence to criticise the Government; in fact, it does them good,” was the assurance of the Hon J. G Cobbe. Mr Samuel (Thames) affected to be " greatly relieved, because he thought ' that the prisons would be inadequate to contain all the people who were r critical, his estimate of the proportion being 98 per cent of the population. I Mr Langstone CVVaimarino) suggested that, in view of the Magistrate’s decision dismissing the Palinerston a North cases of relief workers’ assem- , blage in the street, it would be interesting to see if the Government was legislating to fix that position. ' "It is not in the Bill, but it is a good job you brought that up. We t must look into it,” replied Mr Forbes, who was becoming restive over the inj numerable questions. , Mr Tirikatene, the Southern Maori ~ member, wanted to know if there was t “a little drop-kick at the Maori ” in these Bills. Perhaps they would be penalised for taking their food supplies, , such as fish. He got the necessary assurance, and ’ when more questions came forward Mr Smith, chairman of committees, declared that he would be obliged to rqle .out any more Ministerial denials as tedious repetition.