AMENDMENTS TO BILL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 69, Issue 268, 25 August 1949, Page 7

AMENDMENTS TO BILL

Statutes Revision Committee ■ . DAIRY COMPANY SHAREHOLDERS . * (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Aug. 24. The definition of a supplying shareholder under the Co-operative Dairy Companies Bill has been enlarged to include a co-operative milk marketing company that holds shares in a co-operative dairy company and actually supplies milk. This amendment has been made by the Statutes Revision Committee of the House of Representatives which reported the Bill back to the House to-day. The committee has also amended the model articles of association so that one member of a company or a partnership holding shares in the capital of a co-operative dairy company may nominate a man as a director of the dairy company. Railways Bill Additional rights of appeal are given temporary railway employees by an amendment made to the Government Railways Bill by the Statutes Revision Commitee. Hitherto these employees have had only restricted rights of appeal. The committee has also amended some of the clauses fixing penalties for offences committed by the public against the railway regulations. Another amendment provides that regulations made under the Government Railways Act must be tabled in Parliament.. Indemnity to Firemen A clause in the Fire Services Bill giving an indemnity to fire-fighting authorities and firemen against actions to recover damages for loss of life, bodily injury, or damage to property in fighting'a fire lias been rewritten by the Statutes Revision Committee. The committee has made a condition of the indemuity that fire authorities or firemen are at the time acting in good faith in fighting a fire or in investigating a suspected outbreak. The indemnity does not relieve them of any liability for damage caused in proceeding to or from a fire. Mr C. G. Harker ‘(Opposition, Hawke’s Bay), a member of the committee, said the amended clauses did not go as far as the Law Society wished. It was felt that if a superintendent. of a brigade and the officers of a brigade were acting in good faith, then protection would have to be given them. The committee was convinced that if a fireman felt there whs any real risk of personal prosecution because of what might be an error of judgment there would be a real difficulty in obtaining men to serve in fi£e j brigades. The action taken by the committee should serve the best infer- J ests of the public.