REGULATIONS GO

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 59, 7 September 1945, Page 8

REGULATIONS GO

WARTIME NECESSITY

OTHERS UNDER REVIEW

Sixty-two emergency regulations, including amendments, are being revoked immediately, and those it is not possible to revoke at once are being examined with a view to their revocation as soon as practicable. Announcing this last evening, the Prime Minister (Mr. Fraser) said that with the end of the war immediate consideration had been given by the Government to the possibility of revoking those regulations which had been promoted for security reasons. It was clear, on the advice tendered to the Government, that there was no longer any need on security grounds for continuing the general security restrictions and arrangements had been made to revoke the majority.

The security regulations being revoked, said Mr. Fraser, included the i Public Safety Emergency Regulations and amendments (dealing with statements and activities inimical to the war effort) and the Censorship and Publicity Emergency Regulations and amendments, which made provision for censorship of postal and telegraphic i communications and printed matter. As announced, Press censorship ceased immediately following the conclusion of hostilities with Japan, but it was necessary to retain the machinery of the Censorship and Publicity Emergency Regulations until the formal surrender of Japan had been completed Now that that had been signed the regulations were being completely revoked. The Fishing Boats Emergency Regulations which restricted the movement of fishing boats in the approaches to the ports and off the coast of New Zealand, were also being revoked, and similar action had been taken with the Change of Name Emergency Regulations and the Photography Emergency Regulations, which prohibited the taking of photographs of ships, wireless installations, and other places. AMATEUR RADIO. The Radio Emergency Regulations. 1940, had also been revoked, and all amateur transmitting equipment and diathermy apparatus which were taken into custody would be returned to the owners. Information as to the procedure to be adopted in securing the release of the equipment could be obtained on application to any post office. As a result of the revocation of that regulation, it would no longer be necessary to obtain permits and licences" from the Post Office before acquiring transmitting equipment and valves of over 10 watts dissipation or quartz crystals. Various administrative arrangements which were made for security purposes !had been reviewed, and action was being taken to withdraw military guards on the few remaining vital points. For the future, guards would be limited to establishments of a strictly military character, such as defence works and installations containing stores of valuable military equipment, large supplies of which were still held in the country. From time to time a number of important places were declared "protected places" under the Protected Places Emergency Regulations. In nearly all cases the declarations were being revoked and the places would revert to the normal peacetime basis. All the emergency regulations were being reviewed by Ministers and Departments, and action was being taken forthwith to revoke them all, including notices and orders made under them. Apart from those regulations which were promoted for reasons of security and which were now being revoked, j there were many general regulations which were now being revoked. They included the Air Board Emergency Regulations, 1942, and the Air Force Act Emergency Regulations, 1944, dealing respectively with the size of the Air Board and the manner in which oaths of allegiance might be taken; the Billeting Emergency Regulations, which gave powers for the requisitioning of accommodation for members of the Forces; the Hospital Accommodation Emergency Regulations, 1940, giving power to take land and buildings for hospital accommodation required because of the war; the Hospital Administration Emergency Regulations, 1942, dealing with the medical examination and treatment of Service personnel and recruits; and the Nurses and Midwives Registration Board Emergency Regulations, which dealt with membership of the board. SUPPLY CONTROLS. Various controls had been established under the Supply Control and other enabling Emergency Regulations which were administered by the Minister of Supply. None of those regulations had, as yet, been revoked because of critical material shortages which it would take some time to remedy, but more than 30 control orders or notices under these regulations affecting particular materials had been revoked. They included notices affecting paper, certain classes of electrical appliances, the manufacture of domestic radio sets, as well as other controls affecting many critical materials. A variety of other regulations administered'by the Internal Marketing. Justice, Labour, Marine, Mental Hospitals, Navy, Post and Telegraph, Public Works, Transport, and Treasury Departments and the War Damage Commission had also been revoked. Among the regulations administered by the Transport Department which were tfeing revoked were the Motor Drivers Emergency Regulations, 1941, which provided for the waiving of tests for drivers on the liences not being renewed for two years or more, the Motor Vehicles Impressment Emergency Regulations. 1941, which gave power to take motor vehicles for the use of the Armed Forces, the Traffic j •Control Corps Emergency Regulations, which constituted a traffic control section of the Home Guard, the Passenger Service Time-tables Emergency Regulations, 1943, which gave power to the Minister of Transport to fix timetables for passenger services, and the Road Transport Emergency Regulations, which enabled the Minister to mobilise and direct motor vehicles in an emerThe' regulations controlling the operations of taxi drivers were now being modified and the control now applied only in the four main centres.