WIDENED ACTIVITY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22390, 9 April 1936, Page 13

WIDENED ACTIVITY

LABOUR DEPARTMENT REORGANISING MEASURE NEW OFFICIAL POSTS [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON. Wednesday Proposals for a reorganisation of the Labour Department, and for widening its activities to a marked extent are set out in the Labour Department Amendment Jjill, which was introduced in the House of Representatives by Governor-General's Message to-clay.

The bill provides that the Secretary of Labour shall be the administrative head of the department under the control of the Minister. He is to be charged with tho administration not only of tho original Labour Department Act, 1908, but also of the Master and Apprentice Act, the Servants' Registry Office Act, the Agricultural Labourers' Accommodation Act, the Wages Protection and Contractors Liens Act, tho 1< ootwear Regulation Act, tho Labour Disputes investigation Act, part 1 of the War Legislation Amendment Act, tho Shearers Accommodation Act, tho Factories Act, the Shops and Offices Act, the Workers Compensation Act, the Scaffolding and Excavation Act, tho Apprentices Act, the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act and the Weights and Measures Act. Administration ol New Act There is also provision for the department to ho charged with the administration of the Employment Promotion Act after its passage through Parliament. The bill concerned was introduced later in the after,noon. The Labour Department Bill confirms the present Secretary for Labour, Mr. J. S. Hunter, in his appointment, and provides for tho appointment of an assistant secretary who will have power to fill the higher office during any temporary vacancy. All members of tho public service holding office in the department, or engaged in the administration of any of the Acts now to bo administered by the department are to be confirmed in their appointments, and authority is given for the appointment of additional officers if necessary. The Minister is empowered to delegate any of his statutory powers to the secretary if he desires to do so, but the bill makes it clear that the Minister will remain the absolute head of the department.

Concentration ol Duties Schedules to the bill show that with regard to the Master and Apprentice Act, i9OB, and the amendments of iyA), the Minister of Labour will take over duties formerly carried out by the ister of Internal Affairs and the Minister of Immigration. There is also provision for the appointment of a separate registrar of industrial unions and registrar of apprentices. " The bill is purely administrative in its scope," said the Minister of Labour, the Hon. H. T. Armstrong, in reply to a request from the Hon. A. Hamilton (Opposition —Wallace) for an outline of the provisions of the measure. Mr. Armstrong said the. bill was deemed to be necessary because of the amalgamation of the Unemployment Board and the Labour Department under a single control. _ . A number of statutory positions were held by the Secretary of Labour, the Minister continued, that official being registrar of industrial unions, chief inspector of factories and registrar of ap~ prentices. With the reorganisation of the department under the bill the secretary would have power to delegate the duties of his subsidiary offices to other officials of the department, who would act under the direction of the secretary.

New Appointment Authorised The widened scope of departmental activities would necessitate the appointment of an assistant secretary, and provision was made in the bill for such an appointment. _ _ Mr. W. P. Endean (Opposition —Parnell): More expense to the country. Mr. Armstrong said the bill also authorised the appointment of other officers and confirmed existing officers in their present positions. In addition the Minister could delegate to departmental officers some of his powers, the effect being that he would be relieved of a considerable amount of detail work. This was particularly the case as it affected a large number of unemployment matters previously dealt with by the Unemployment Board. The bill was read a first time.