FIVE NEW BILLS INTRODUCED IN HOUSE YESTERDAY

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 August 1948, Page 6

FIVE NEW BILLS INTRODUCED IN HOUSE YESTERDAY

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, August 17. Five new bills were introduced in the House of Representatives today. They are the Aliens, Trades Certification, Apprentices, Public Works Amendment, and Mining Amendment Bills. The principal measures are: — Aliens. — War-time regulations dealing with aliens are embodied in the Aliens Bill. The Prime Minister (Mr Fraser) said the bill was really a counterpart of the British Nationality and New Zealand Citizenship Bill (now under discussion). A good many of the war regulations dealing with the registration of aliens and the change of name and change of residence by aliens were embodied in it. Provision for the deportation of aliens who turned out to be criminals was also contained. Under the bill real and personal property may be held by an alien, British-protected person, or an Irish citizen in the same manner as a British subject, but this shall not operate to qualify an alien for any office or for- any Parliamentary, municipal, or other franchise, nor shall it qualify any alien to be the owner of a British ship oi- of any share in a British ship. Any alien, British-protected person, or Irish citizen shall be triable in the same manner as a British subject.

Apprentices. —A consolidation of the Apprentices Act, 1923, and its amendments is contained in the Apprentices Bill. The Minister of Labour (Mr A. McLagan) said opportunity had been taken to make a number of minor amendments, but the new proposals were not of great importance. They had been approved by the Employers’ Federation and the Federation of Labour.

Trades Certification. —The establishment of a New Zealand Trades Certification Board to conduct examinations and issue certificates for competency in various trades is provided for in the Trades Certification Bill. The board is to consist of three persons appointed on the recommendation of the Director of Education (one of whom shall be chairman), two persons nominated by each of the Employers’ Federation, the Federation of Labour, and the Technical School Teachers’ Association, one person nominated by each of the Electrical Wireman’s Registration Board, and the Commissioner of Apprenticeship. Provision is made for the appointment of additional members to the board to represent each other authority which conducts examinations and issues trade certificates for the whole of New Zealand. Hours of Gold Mines. —Hours of work in underground gold mines are limited to seven a day or 35 a week by a clause in the Mining Amendment Bill. Asked by Mr W. A. Sheat (Opposition, Patea), if the bill provided for worker control in mines, Mr McLagan said that was already being done administratively. Miners had been offered a .share of the mines they worked in and in some cases they were operating it. It was hoped they would operate it in all cases.