SAFEGUARDS URGED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20618, 20 November 1941, Page 3

SAFEGUARDS URGED

SOLDIERS' BUSINESS INTRUSION BY ALIENS REQUESTS TO MINISTER ' (Por Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. j That steps be taken to safeguard the interests of men engaged in business who are called up tor Territorial or overseas service formed the text, of recent representations by the Dominion executive committee of the New Zealand Returned Services’ Association to the Minister of Industries'and Commerce, the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, and his department. Instances were given where men engaged in businesses had been called up for service and. shortly after their entry into camp, businesses conducted by those of foreign extraction werb opened in close proximity. Thb association urged ttie following resolutions:—

“Thai no alien, enemy or otherwise, be entitled to commence nnjv business or profession without fiHt having obtained a license from thje appropriate Government department concerned, and that such department take into consideration when con|siddring the license the fact of Netiv Zealanders having had to give up h similar class of business in that areh to enter military service, and that the application and the alien’s statu's be advertised." “That unless in the public interest a license not be granted to someone else while such men are .on service or, if necessary in the public, interest, a temporary license be granted tb anyone else during the absence oh service of the men concerned.” Government Policy Issue The Minister, in reply to the first resolution, slated that the Bureau of Industry was the only body that could in any way control nota entrants into particular industries, and that the only industries in respect of which such authority existed werje those licensed under the Industrial Efficiency Act. He aded that steps had already been taken to prqteqt those engaged in such licensed indufitries who had been called to the armed forces. I “The position in regard, to new entrants into businesses which are notlicensed,” the Minister continued, “is one for general Government policy, and I am taking an early opportunity of discussing the matter fully wit i my colleagues.” The department, in its repljp repeated Ihc fact that the only industries that were in any way controlled were those licensed under the Industrial Efficiency. Act, and said that insofar as the position in particular localities was concerned, should neiv applications come before the Bureau of Industry, the licenses previously granted to members of the anndd forces for those localities would be taken into account before decisions were made. The association is to represent to the Government the position regarding unlicensed businesses, not thoie licensed under the Industrial Efficiency Act —some 37 industries ta refer to the press report of evidence given before the Price Tribunal inquiry, that fruit shops in the. Auckland province since the outbreak hostilities had .increased .by 42, .arid to ask what steps are being taken to protect the interests of. the mqn undergoing service with the armed forces who were in business prior to joining such forces. X-ray Examination First The association considers, in viekv of the number of men who have entered camp and subsequent tc X-ray examination have been discharged as unfit, that no recruit should enter camp until the result of his X-ray examination is known 1 . Representations on these lines were made recently by the association to the Minister of Defence, who,, replying, pointed out that the instructions provide “that the. X-ray, examination slnill be made before entering camp Unless this, would make tjie romrijr. absent from home for more than jn day or would cause undue expense or inconvenience. .The association is of. the opinion that the expense and inconvenience brought about bv a recruit being away from home for more than a day is infinitesimal, compared with that occasioned as a result of such recruit entering camp, disposing of his tools, possibly his business and personal effects, only to find that the X-ray examination results in his discharge from the forces. In addition,.in .the case of a breakdown in health serious questions cf a war pension and treatment arise. Further representations in this connection are to be made accordingly.

The. financial membership of the association at October 31 shows an increase of over 2800 compared with the figure at .the same date last year, .stated the report presented at a meeting of tec Dotninion committee. Hine hundred ex-servicemen of the present war have already become financial members, of the association.