NO "SAMENESS"

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 228, 26 September 1941, Page 2

NO "SAMENESS"

VALUE OF STANDARDS ELIMINATE SHODDY WORK (.By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. After two unsuccessful divisions had been forced by the Opposition, the Standards Bill was put through its remaining stages and passed by the House of Representatives last night. Opposition members agreed with the principle of the bill, but strongly opposed two of the clauses. They objected to the constitution of the Standards Council on the grounds that those who would be affected by the application of standards should have representation, and they opposed the clause providing for regulations to enforce standard specifications. The Minister of Industries and Commerce. Mr. Sullivan, who was in charge of the bill, agreed that those concerned should 'be represented and said that he would agree to accept nominations when the council was being set up. He would still determine the right to accept nominations, but in the normal course of events they would be accepted unless there was some real justification for their rejection. However, he refused to accede to a plea from the Leader of the Opposition. Mr. Holland, that this should be written into the bill, and a division was taken during the second reading debate.

Members of the Opposition confined their remarks mainly to the compulsory clause and to comment that the bill could have been left until after the war.

Mr. Sullivan, in reply, said there was no suggestion that standards would mean a universal sameness. Standards really meant suitability and capacity for service of the articles concerned. Dealing with other points raised by the Opposition, he said that the bill did not pioneer a field of compulsion, for in most other countries powers of compulsion were incorporated in the regulations. It had also been a regular practice in the Dominion for appointments to be made bv the Minister.

Needed in Wartime As for the suggestion that the bill should not proceed during wartime, he could quote high authorities to show that standards were required in wartime to a very much greater extent than in peacetime. Evidence had come before the committee and exhibits had been produced revealing inadequate workmanship that involved danger to life and property, but because references had been made to manufacturers who did not play the game it was unfair of some of the Opposition members to speak as though members on the Government side who had condemned bad workmanship were attacking New Zealand's manufacturers as a whole, he continued Manufacturers themselves were keener in their criticism of people putting out that sort of work than any of the members of the House, and there were manufacturers to-day who wotdcl be ft lad indeed to have compulsory standards to eliminate the shoddy work that was sometimes sent out by their competitors. The committee stages of the bill were not prolonged. After a short debate on the clause setting up an advisory council, a division was taken, the voting being 31 to 10. The "compulsory" clause voting was .",2 to 17 in favour of the retention of the clause. On the third reading, after the Minister had reiterated his intention to accept nominations for the advisory council. Mr. Poison tOpposition. Stratford) .said that although the Opposition had not been successful in obtaining this right by statute it had succeeded in obtaining the embalmed announcement in Hansard from the Minister in that connection Although that made for sloppy and untidy legislation, it at least" gave some indication of the intention and desire of the Government.