DOMINION ITEMS

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 March 1945, Page 2

DOMINION ITEMS

PRINTERS’ FEDERATION . - WELLINGTON, March .22.

The Federation of Master Printers elected Mr. B. H. Whitcombe as President and Mr. H. L. Young as Vice President. It voted a sum not exceeding £lOOO for the purchase of plant and equipment for the disabled servicemen’s training centre at Wellington.

MEAT PRICES. NEW PLYMOUTH, March 21.The difference between an application to the Price Tribunal for an increase in retail prices and a request being made to' the Government for a subsidy was made clear by tne Master Butchers’. Conference at New Plymouth to-day. In a statement handed to the Press it -was. stated that an application .to the Price Tribunal was to cover increases that had taken place in general costs, including material used, by butchers, which the Price Tribunal had approved of, while the subsidy, was to cover the increased purchasing price paid to the farmer while maintaining the retail selling price to consumers at the same level as before the advance m price to producers.

MAORI RATES GISBORNE, March 22 Amendments to the Rating. Act to provide for compulsory measures to make natives pay rates witnout enforcing sale of their lands were advocated by the Waiapu County Council, giving evidence to the Parliamentary Committee on Local Bony Government. A -.schedule of payment of native rates in the County for the past 14 years, showing levied £143,012, collected £86,446 written off £ 14,909:. leaving, £15,613 outstanding was described by the Chairman (Mr K. McKeen) as the best in. New Zealand. Evidence submitted from Counties urged a £ for £ Govern-. ment subsidy on reading rates m collected by the Counties which contended it would prevent the limit o± £2.500, which was too low. The Gisborne Labour Representation Committee advocated the principle of the election of the Mayoi by Borough Councils.

HOSPITAL RATES. GISBORNE, March 21. The reduction of hospital contributions by any local-body to not more than Id in the £ on the unimproved value of its district, and the application of such a stabilised limit throughout the Dominion, was advocated by the Gisborne Borough Council to the Parliamentary Committee on Local Government to-day. The effect of this, it was stated, would be that all local bodies now paying more than the suggested amount would be reduced by a payment ‘from the Consolidated Fund. The total abolition of .hospital levies on local bodies was strongly supported, but it was felt that such a demand asked too much at present. Local authorities at present paying less than Id in the £ on unimproved value would not lie affected by the change, and would continue to pay their present levy until the proposed stabilised rate was reached. The council did not support the nationalisation of hospital control, or the abolition of hospital boards. The latter should continue to operate as at present but their collecting powers should be reduced. On the 1942 figures the sum required from the Consolidated Fund to permit, stabilisation at. Id in the £ on unimproved value was £127,415.