Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. THURSDAY, JULY 23rd., 1936. FINANCE BILL

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 July 1936, Page 6

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. THURSDAY, JULY 23rd., 1936. FINANCE BILL

yUE principle of wage cut restoration being one of the Government’s main policy planks, and accepted more or less passively by industries generally, the proposals in the Finance Bill, presented to the House, yesterday,

will not arouse keen controversy, in or out of Parliament. There is no reason why the public service should not share in the general restoration, particularly the low-er-paid grades. That is not to say that all conditions for State employees should be restored exactly as they were in 1931, as there is scope for administrative and salary scale amendment. Some salaries paid never erred on Ihe side of generosity, whereas in-

stances might be found where the recipients should be regarded as lucky. What is needed concerning the cost of the civil service is to prevent waste, such as has been incurred by too many and unnecessary transfers of employees from one end of the Dominion to the other, multiplicity of returns, and other items known to many engaged in the publie service. As for industries, outside State activities, there has been since the depression lifted, an increasing move io restore wage-cuts, and the. effect of the Finance Bill’s proposals has been already largely discounted. It is but fair to those employers who have thus acted, that their competitors should be forced to follow the example. Evasion of the law’s demand by

dismissing workers is to be penalijised by fine, the maximum amount not being really frightening, i Whether the less scrupulous, or the more harassed type of employ- ; ers will be deterred from making ’dismissals must be left to the ,

future to prove. All industries have their limits of capacity for expenditure, and whether the policy is wood or had, there is no doubt that the Government’s industrial legislation will add to the cost oi production. Only increased demand can counteract, this. The other proposals in the Finance Bill do not call for more comment than that previously given to some of the controversial items.

The most important of the other business dealt with by the House, yesterday, was Mr. Semple’s Bill aiming at greater control and inspection of motor vehicles, in the attempt to lessen road casualties. This object has everybody’s approval, and there are already enough regulations to secure it, were these adequately enforced. It is not the cars at fault, to-day, but the human element. Pedestrians and cyclists are partly to blame, but most of the accidents are due to those motorists, who through various causes, treat the roads as if made only for their business or pleasure. Every day, and on almost every road, drivers may be seen taking serious risks. In the majority of instances nothing untoward happens. When somebody becomes injured or worse, ingenious are the defences raised, and comparatively mild are, too often, the penalties. The Minister has decided not to impose registration on cycles, and this will prove popular. Cyclists need similar treatment as motorists, namely, adequate punishment when they break the road regulations specially applying to them.