CHANGES IN LAWS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22985, 12 March 1938, Page 15

CHANGES IN LAWS

VARIETY OF CLAUSES REMOVING ANOMALIES FARM WORKERS* HALF-HOLIDAY MANY STATUTES AMENDED i [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Friday Miscellaneous alterations to existing laws are contained in the Statutes Amendment Bill, which was introduced in tho House of Representatives by Governor-General's Message to-night. Most of the changes are made with the object of removing anomalies or of improving details as far as administration is concerned. Under one clause tho Official Assignee is to be entitled to commission when ho is administering estates under the Administration Act. The Agricultural Workers Act is amended so that dairy farm workers may agree to accept leave between milkings instead of weekly half-holidays as provided for in the existing law. A new provision to be read into the Crimes Amendment Act gives a person sentenced by a magistrate to a period of reformative detention the right of appeal to the Supreme Court. The appeal must be lodged within 14 days of the passing of sentence. Wages of Apprentices In a section dealing with destitute persons it is provided that a husband may bo allowed access to his child during the currency of a guardianship order. On the other hand, it is made an offence for a husband to molest children in respect of whom a guardianship order has been made. In determining the wages of apprentices under the Factories Act a clause in the bill makes it clear that only previous employment in the same or a similar factory is to be taken into consideration. Confusion which may arise owing to lights being displayed near railway signals is the subject of another clause which gives the Minister of Railways authority to order the removal or screening of the lights in question. Failure to observe the Minister's order can be punished by a fine of £IOO, and in the event of non-compliance* by the person responsible for the offending lights departmental officers are authorised to carry out the work themselves and recover the expenditure involved. Mortgage Belief Act The Housing Survey Act is extended until the end of the present year. The bill also provides that digging for kauri gum is to be prohibited on Crown lands where development works are in progress or contemplated. Several amendments to the Mortgagors and Lessees Rehabilitation Act are included in the bill. It is provided that in certain cases a mortgagee' may apply for an adjustment of liabilities of a guarantor. There are technical amendments dealing with the restricted exercise of powers under adjusted mortgages and the extension of time for the recovery of rates where tho commencement of proceedings is prohibited. There is a clarification of the status of adjustment commissions. The Motor Vehicles Act is also amended in various directions. Agricultural tractors and trailers attached to them are to be exempt from registration fees. A limitation is placed on the weight of motor-vehicles, the loaded weight to be a maximum of 10 tons, or six tons in the case of multi-axled vehicles. However, special permission may be given if necessary for the use of extra heavy motor-vehicles. Minister's Explanation The power to make regulations under the Orchard and Garden Diseases Act is to be extended to permit regulations authorising an inspector to enter any premises to inspect fruit intended for sale and to impose an inspection fee on fruit intended for local consumption. Public accountants' offices are to be excluded from the operations of the Shops and Offices Act, although they will be on the same footing as solicitors' offices in the payment of wages and in the keeping of wages and timebooks. "Many of the clauses in the bill deal with routine matters and have been introduced to avoid inconvenience which might otherwise result," said the Attorney-General, the Hon. H. G. R. Mason, when the bill was introduced. "Some of them really only enact what we believed was the law before, and so far as 1 know tho bill contains nothing of a contentious nature." The bill was read a first time.