STRENGTH OF POLICE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXV, Issue 305, 23 November 1945, Page 5

STRENGTH OF POLICE

QUESTION OF RECRUITING

TODAY’S PARLIAMENT (Press Assn.) WELLINGTON, Nov. 23, Information on the Government’s intentions regarding the building up of the New Zealand-..; Police Force to adequate strength was sought by Mr T. L. Macdon-., aid (Nat., Alataura), in conjunc- i tion with Air A. S. Sutherland - (Nat., Hauraki), when he asked a question of the Minister in charge of the Police Department (Air Fraser), when the House of Representatives resumed this morning.

Air Macdonald asked 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 it was _ stated in the Commissioner’s that the Police Force was unde’r strength to the extent of 140 constables, and since that report was. pre-.. seated there had been some resignation/* ~bt.

Air W. A. Sheat (Nat., Patea) gave,: notice to ask the Alinister of Social Security to take steps to ensure that all confidential documents such as--police reports concerning applicants for pensions were destroyed when ifo_ longer required by the department,” and not disposed of to other Government departments or service estab- , lishments for use as scrap paper. Air Sheat said that among the papers recently made available to the Karon, 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 hands of some person known to the relatives of the. applicant. • <•

LAND SALES AAIENDAIENT. 1. A 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, say, 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 leases 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. Thecommittee has also amended the Bill so that Part 111 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 AmendmentBill, as reported back by the Lands Committee, provides for local body; - representation on the Assessment' Courts hearing objections to the valuation of property. If a local authority fails to appoint a representative the-Governor-General-in-Couneil may do so..

The Patents, Designs and Trade Alarks Amendment, Bill was put ' through the Committee stages and passed. BUSHWORKERS- BILL. -b.o

The Acting-Alinister .of Labour (Mr O’Brien), moving the second,,reading of the Bushworkers Bill, said ' 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 the men travelling to work over bush tramlines, but other millers _ were less careful, the men travelling in dangerous jiggers over dangerous tracks. Too frequently there were a<>" cidents 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 vrerft, , likely to help the production of tim,-., her and not hamper it. There might be ” mill workers whe knew their job so"j well that they could serve as inspectors, but at present he wa,sy‘ inclined to think that the inspec-;; tors would have to be engineers. l ‘

Mr W. J. Poison (Nat., _ Stratford) -, v said the powers of protection which other workers enjoyed should be extended to buslimen, who were in one of New Zealand’s most dangerous occupations The Minister- of Rehabilitation . (Air Skinner) said the Bill v.-*s overdue and it contained every provision against accident to a worker. An important part of the measure was its provision for inspectors. Mr W. S. Goosman (Nat., Waikato) 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 was read a second time before the House adjourned for lunch.