Question Time in the House

Manawatu Times, Volume 68, Issue 58, 10 March 1943, Page 5

Question Time in the House

Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Mar. 9. Asking whether the present method of cheeking up on short-weight bread was adequate to safeguard the public interest, Mr. J. A. Lee in a notice ot question to the Minister of Industries and Commerce in the House to-day, said a number of complaints had reached him about the large amount of shortweight bread being sold. An appeal that help for mothers be made available in cases of sickness or where the care of young children is concerned, was made by Mrs. Dreavei in a notice of question to tho Minister of Manpower, ijhe sought an assurance that where sickness or the care of young children made it difficult for a mother to maintain her home, tho local Manpower Officers should arrange to make the necessary help available. No effort is to be spared by the Land and Income Tax Department to detect tax evasions, said the Acting Minister in Charge of the Department (Hon. A. H. Nordmeyer), replying to an urgent question by Mr. F. Langstone, who drew attention to the steps being taken in this direction in Australia. The Min ister said shortages in staff prevented a special inquiry being instituted at present, but as soon as possible, this would be undertaken and minute inquiries would bo made into the activities oi anyone whether, aliens or otherwise, suspected of tax evasion. The procedure adopted by the National Service Department towards mental hospital attendants was mentioned in an urgent question by Mr. H. Atmore to the Prime Minister. He asked whether tho Prime Minister’s attention had been drawn to the matter and instanced one case of a young women temperamentally unfitted for such work, who refused to obey an order to take up such duties. She was dismissed by her employer according to the law and was now threatened with prosecution. Mr. Atmore said many girls were temperamentally unfitted for such occupation and to force them into it might be dangerous and even cruel. Mr. Fraser, in reply, said it was quite true that many girls and even men wore not suitable for such work, but he pointed out that not all the work in a mental hospital necessarily brought the attendants into contact with violent patients. In fact, about 90 per cent, of tho work was in connection with people w*ho were non-violent. Mr. H. S. S. Kyle: Mejdical examination should over-ride the Manpower Committee. Mr. Fraser agreed, stating that any person who was found unsuitable would not be kept there. This, however, was a time of national emergency and there was a definite shortage of staff for mental hospitals. Every member would agree that it would be a tragedy if the unfortunate people in mental hospitals were not cared for. If the staff personnel were not available voluntarily, he did not know of any place where direction should more properly be applied than in tho case of a mental hospital.