POLITICAL NOTES

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21245, 17 August 1934, Page 12

POLITICAL NOTES

[From Our Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, August 16. r Local Body Requirements , The necessity for more frequent 1 legislation to meet the changing circumstances of local bodies, was emphasised by Mr D. G. Sullivan (Lab., i Avon), in the House of Representatives to-day, when speaking on the . report of the Internal Affairs Depart- , ment. Mr Sullivan said that resolu- j tions passed at the Municipal Conference were laid aside, sometimes for years, before they were acted on. In the meantime local bodies, as a 1 result perhaps of legal decisions em- i barrassing to them in their opera- ] tions, had to continue with an inef- , ficient and ineffective law, whereas-j the matter should be remedied at the ( earliest possible moment. ; There should be greater flexibility , in translating into legislation the experience of local bodies, said Mr Sul- ( livan. The Municipal Conference considered various Questions most , thoroughly and without hurrj. If . anything, the conference was too , conservative. At any rate, it was j exceedingly careful, and usually , verv sure of its ground. , Mr Sullivan said the Government j must realise the necessity of bring- , ing the Municipal Corporations Act ( and associated acts up-to-date, to , meet the requirements of local 1 bodies. . , "Unless more activity is shown by the Government," added Mr Sullivan, "we may find the Municipal Conference become a thing of the past There is a feeling that unless municipalities can get their local needs provided for, their representatives might just as well stay at, home." . Mr Sullivan also touched on >wn planning, and urged the Government to appoint a town planning officer. "When we see how some cities have grown up in higgledy-piggledy fashion, we should wake up to the necessitv for proper planning, he said. "Parliament has recognised this. Its legislation provides that local bodies must prepare schemes; but when these schemes are prepared and submitted to Wellington, nothing further is done. The plans are pigeon-holed. We must either arrange for the act to be operated or wiped off the Statute Book. We have a Town Planning Board that has two meetings only a year, and there is no expert to £uide it. The position is impossible. Danger of Anthrax The danger of anthrax contagion from the use of a certain type of shaving brush was mentioned in j the House of Representatives to- ; day by Mr H. S. S. Kyle (C., Ricj carton), who addressed an urgent I question on the subject to the ' Minister for Health, the Hon. J. A. | Young. ■ | Mr Kyle asked the Minister: ' whether, in view of the recent; ! South Canterbury case of a person . ; suffering from anthrax, and in view > jof the medical officer's report that j ' the disease was contracted through i the use of an imported 'shaving j brush, and that a microscopical J examination had shown three ou* j of six brushes to be infected, the j Government would take immediate steps to withdraw from sale all shaving brushes of similar origin. The Minister stated that action had already been taken under the supervision of the Health Department to withdraw from sale and ! destroy all such brushes. Members: Hear, hear. Mr E. J. Howard (Lab., Christchurch South): Where do the brushes come from? ! The Minister: I am not sure on that point, and I should not like to say where they come from unless I was certain of it. "Mr W. J. Poison (C.. Stratford): The information should be made j public. i High Exchange Kate The advantages to local industries accruing from the raising of the rate of exchange have been particularly noticeable in the case of the clothing, white working, and similar industries, according to the annual report of the Labour Department, tabled in the House of Representatives to-day. In these indus- | tries it was found necessary to work a considerable amount of overtime, arid it was anticipated from regis- | trations for the present year that ! the beneficial results of last year ! would be more than maintained; | during the coming year in factory ; ; employment. ! The establishment of the follow-; ' ing new industries during the last j : year might also be regarded as an j ■ | indication of the improved tone of i 1 manufacturing in the Dominion — ■ rubberware manufacturing, flax , woolpaek and textile manufactur- ■ ing. vacuum packing of primary produce, eel canning, manufacture of wooden matches, manufacture of dry cell batteries, refining of crude oil into various grades of lubricating oil. and preparation of ethyl petrol.