BURNED PAPERS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24832, 2 March 1944, Page 4

BURNED PAPERS

SOLDIERS' TOTES II INTERLUDES IN DEBATE (S R.) WELLINGTON. Wednesday!?! The destruction by burning of: electoral ballot papers of the Middle § East forces was referred to by ' Leader of the Opposition, Mr. S. Q , Holland, during the second, reading bate on the Invercargill Licensing Con| ? mittee Bill in the House of Represents, tives this afternoon, when speaking 0 f the vote for restoration in Invercar- ' gill. Mr. Holland said that, although 1 there was no doubt as to the propriety of the civilian vote in the general ele& tion, there was doubt as to the manner in which the soldiers' vote had been i taken. The destruction of the ballot ' papers of the Second N.Z.E.F. orders of an officer on the spot in the I Middle East had removed all possibility of a check on the method by which tha forces vote had been conducted. , I Mr. Sullivan's Resentment 1

The Minister of Supply, the Hon. D. G. Sullivan: The Leader of the Opposj-' tion should be fair. He knows that the Prime Minister has offered to appoint a Parliamentary committee to inquire into the incident.

Mr. Holland: That is not going to restore the ballot papers. g

"If the Leader of the Opposition wanted to say that the Government had anything to do with the destruction of the ballot papers, or was in any way responsible for it to serve some vile purpose in doing it, he should have the courage to say so openly," said Mr. Sullivan later in the debate.

On the raising of a point of order, the Speaker called upon the Minister to withdraw the reference to the courage of a member. Promise Given by Mr. Nash In complying, Mr. Sullivan said that, if the Leader of the Opposition wanted to say the Government i was capable of such vileness,' he should not have used innuendo to leave that impression in the minds of the people and the country. Mr. Holland had raised the matter in a nasty form, to leave doubts in the minds of the people. He also knew that the Minister of Finance, the Hon. W. Nash, had given an undertaking; to have the ballot papers r& turned. To an Opposition interjection, Afc Sullivan said that when that promise had been given, Mr. Nash was unawaro the papers had been destroyed. Mr. Sullivan regretted that the Leader of the Opposition had left that nasty impression with the people.' .— FLOOD RELIEF , EDGECUMBE AND TE WHAITI • STATE HELP FOR SETTLERS (S.R.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday;!

The Government was . prepared to provide financial relief to-the settlers affected by the floods in the Edgecumbe and Te Whaiti areas, stated the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. F. Fraser, in the House of Representatives to-day, when replying to an urgent question put by Mr. F. W. Doidge (Opposition— Tauranga), Mr. G. F. Sim (Opposition —Rotorua) and Mr. W. Sullivan (OpEosition —Bay of Plenty). The memers suggested that it would help settlers who had suffered if the Government would find half the sum as a relief grant. The financial relief from the Government. said the Prime Minister, would be advanced on the customary, conditions where persons were not able to meet losses from their own resources. Arrangements were being made for the Department of Agriculture to report on any chum received and the members' suggestion that local primary production committees recommend cases for relief had been noted. ! ' ; - 1 In reviewing the action taken bv the Government and departmental officers to alleviate conditions in the flooded areas, Mr. Fraser said that arrangements had been made for the transportation of cream. Settlers Trbo had grasslands left wore helping out. those whose properties were flooded and the Lands Dpnartment had arranged to take 1000 calves into the Edgectmib? land development block as a temporary measure.

LOCAL AND GENEBAL

Year's First Bankruptcy The first bankruptcy filed at the office of the official assignee in Auckland this year was registered during February. The position at the end of February was the same as' at the corresponding period in 1943, when none tvere filed in January and one in February. Services Clubrooms New clubrooms are to be opened shortly by the New Zealand Home Services Association in the basement of Colwill Chambers in Swanson Street. The premises have been leased and are | now being prepared for occupation. All Neiv Zealand servicemen and servicewomen, whether they have been overseas or not. and whether members of the association or not, are to be admitted. Warning Against Fire Following a report by its superintendent that 12 fires within a month were caused by children plaving with matches, the Metropolitan Fire Board asked the Auckland Education Board yesterday to point out to children the serious danger arising from the careless handling of matches. The Education Board decided to have circular* distributed to all schools, warning .children of the peril of fire. Olympic Pool Receipts An increase of £496 in the receipt* from the Olympic Swimming Pool from November, 1943, to Tuesday last, over the corresponding period last year, was shown in figures produced by the town clerk, Mr. H. Wilson, at a meeting of the Newmarket Borough Council last night. For the period just ended people paid for admission, • the' total receipts being £I6SO, compared wit.i 61,774 and £llß4 for the previous period 12 months ago. Auckland Hotels Satisfactory reports from the police concerning the conduct of Auckland hotels over the past three months were received at the quarterly meeting ot the Auckland Liceusing Committee yesterday. The chairman, Mr. J. H. B'JXford, S.M., presided. Two applications for the transfer of publicans' licences were granted. They were those of tne Wavcrley Hotel from C. S. Cook to D. Ardcll, and of the Exchange Hotel from T. E. Tasker to C. J..K. Taylor, Children's Givings For the past 35 years children of the Presbyterian Sunday Schools of tne Dominion have joined in contributing from their own earnings to a special Christmas gift for missions, \\nen tie scheme was started in 1909 it brougli a modest response of £33, but the tots has continued to grow from year t year. Once again this Christmas a » records have been surpassed and a total of £IOOS lias been contributed by the children. This is to be given to tne memorial and thanksgiving fund, spec ally for the restoration of the mission work of the Presbyterian Church m South 'China. Many Hours' Overtime . A statement that 293 hours' over l in 'c was worked last week by the _ staff- « 26 at the factory of Stonex Brothers. Limited (Mr. Golds tine), was made J counsel before the No. 1 Armed J ores Appeal Board yesterday, when w-. board was considering an appeal by company against the military se of Francis William . Swetman, single, aged 25, whose mihtjiiry gradin, one. Mr. Goldstine said 'the staff Pjj , tion at the factory was the management realised tnat not keep a grade 1 man mdefjnitgy The appeal was dismissed on dition that the reservist was to camp befor*-Jk