PARLIAMENT AND POLICE

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 November 1945, Page 2

PARLIAMENT AND POLICE

ADEQUATE STRENGTH URGED “CONFIDENTIAL" DOCUMENTS WELLINGTON, November 23. Information on the Government’s intentions regarding the building up of the New Zealand police force to adequate strength was sought by Mr. Macdonald, in conjunction with Mr. Sutherland, when he asked the Minister in charge of Police (Mr. Fraser) when the House of Representatives resumed this morning, whether a recruiting campaign was to be undertaken and was it proposed to make the conditions of the service more attractive so that service in the force would not suffer by comparison with other occupations. A note to the question said that it was stated in the Commissioner’s report that the police force was undei- strength to the extent of 140 constables, and since that report was presented there had been some resignations. Mr. She.at gave notice to ask the Minister of Social Security to take steps to ensure that all confidential documents, such as police Reports concerning applications for pensions, were destroyed when no longer required by the Department, and not disposed of to other Government departments or service establishments for use as scrap paper. Mr. Sheat said that among papers recently made available to the Karori Wireless Transmitters for use as scrap paper was a confidential police report on a pension applicant, which indicated, among other details, that the applicant had suffered terms of imprisonment as outlined in an attached list not now included. The document, though an old one, might easily have come into the hand of some person known to relations of the applicant. .LAND SETTLEMENT

Amendments made to' the Servicemen’s Settlement and Land Sales Amendment Bill by the Lands Committee were reported back to the House. The original clause dealing with the right of an owner to retain an economic holding stated that in a case where the owner was himself living on the land and farming it for the support of himself and. his dependants, he should have the right to retain an area sufficient to support an average efficient farmer and his dependants, but the committee has struck out the reference to living on the land and made it apply to cases where the owner is farming . the land. Another amendment brings the personal representative or trustee in the estate of a deceased person within the scope of the. definition of an owner. The committee has also amended the Bill so that part three of the principal Act, which deals with the control of the sale and leases of land, shall apply to all leases for two years or more. The clause stating that urban land withdrawn from sale can be sold within six months only to a serviceman, has been amended by extending the period to 12 months. The Valuation of Land Amendment Bill, as reported back bv the Lands Committee, provides for local body representation on Assessment Courts hearing objections to the valuation of propertv. If the local authority fails to appoint a representative, the Gover-nor-General-in-Council may do so. The Patents Designs und Trade-, marks Amendment Bill was put through the committee stages and passed. , . Mr O’Brien, moving the second reading of the BUSH WORKERS’ BILL, said that a large number of workers in New Zealand did not come within any protective legislation, and bushworkers were among them. > Some timber millers were very careful and provided good equipment, including conveyances for men travelling to work over bush tramlines. But other millers were less careful and men were travelling in dangerous jiggers over dangerous tracks. Too frequently there were accidents in the bush, not always due to faulty equipment, but sometimes due to poor’ organisation. Mr O’Brien said inspectors, would be the key men in giving effect to the Bill. They would have to know their job thoroughly, and, if they did, they were likely to help in the production of timber and not hamper it. There might' be mill workers who knew their job so well that they could serve as inspectors, but at present he was inclined to think the inspectors would have to be engineers. Mr Polson said the powers of protection which other workers enjoyed should be extended to bushmen who were in one of New Zealand’s m'ost dangerous occupations. Mr Skinner said that the Bill was overdue, and it contained every provision against accident to the worker. An important part of the measure was its provision for inspectors. Mr Goosman said that in spite of all precautions, accidents would happen, but even if the Bill were responsible for saving one life it would be justified. The Bill w.as read a second time before the House adjourned for lunch.