ONE VOTE MARGIN

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25030, 21 October 1944, Page 8

ONE VOTE MARGIN

DIVISION IN HOUSE PROTEST MADE BY MR NASH (S.R.) WELLINGTON, Friday A lively interlude occurred in the House of Representatives this afternoon when, following the Government's close call on a division, which it survived by one vote, the Minister of Finance, Mr Nash, as acting-Leader of the House, charged the Opposition with breaking an arrangement between the party Whips. The division was called for by the Opposition after it had moved an amendment to reduce the Internal Marketing Division's estimates by £5. Mr A. J. Murdoch (Marsden), in moving the amendment, said it was an expression of the Opposition's opinion that the Government's policy should be aimed at placing internal control of primary products in the hands of the producers' co-operative companies. It was apparent from the unusual number of vacant benches on the Government side that the result would be close and this was confirmed in the announcement by the Chairman of Committees, Mr McKeen, that the amendment had been lost by 30 votes to 29. Party Arrangement Claimed Mr Nash protested that there had been an arrangement between the party Whips which had not been observed. He was informed that it was arranged to put this estimate through before the luncheon adjournment. "We ought to find some way of taking one another's word," he added. The senior Opposition Whip, -Mr W. J. liroai I toot (Waitomo) stated that he had made his party's attitude perfectly plain to the Chairman of Committees. "I did not know there was any hard-and-fast arrangement," he said. Mr Nash: I was told there was by one of our Whips. On that understanding some Government members went to a conference.

Mr I). W. Coleman (Gisborne), junior Government Whip, said lie went to the Opposition junior Whip, who had said they would allow the vote to go through before one o'clock. Mr K. J. Holvoake (Opposition— Pahiatua) said it was known to Government .members that the vote would be discussed in the afternoon. Some Government members had even spoken in the continued debate. Breach of Faith Denied Mr Murdoch said he had intended to move his amendment before lunch, but was unable to got the Hoor. Fie disputed that there was any definite arrangement and denied there had been any breach of faith. t Whenever there had been an arrangement between the party \\ hips the Opposition had always given it 100 per Cent backing, said Mr W. J. L'olson (Opposition—Stratford). Mr Nash said he had been informed of the arrangement from another source. The Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr Parry, said the mistake apparently had been" made on resuming at 2.30 p.m. The Whips should have raised the matter then. The incident closed when the chairman said he was not concerned in party arrangements. His duty was to call on members to speak when they rose to do so.

SHOP CLOSING HOURS NEW AWARDS PENDING TWO SETTLEMENTS REACHED Three industrial disputes affecting: the hours of the closing of shops and the introduction of the five-day week have been set down to come before the Arbitration Court here next month. In two of these a complete settlement has been reached in Conciliation Council, and the draft agreement is being referred to the Court to make into an award. One of those in which agreement has been reached is that of shop assistants within a radius of 21 miles of the Auckland chief post office, and it is to come before the Court on the morning of •November 16. Concerning closing hours, it has been agreed that shops in areas to which section 31 of the Shops and Offices Act applies shall close on four days of the week not later than 5.30 p.m. and on one day of the week not later than 9 p.m. No work shall be done one Saturday. The shop assistants covered do not include those with butchers, grocers, hairdressers, chemists, confectioners and a few others. The other dispute in which settlement has been reached is that of the northern district grocers' assistants, which has been set down for the morning of November 17. In this also the Court will be asked to fix the same closing hours, and Saturday work is forbidden. In the northern chain grocery stores employees' dispute a complete settlement has not been reached. In fixing the closing hours of shops the Court is required by section 69 of the Shops and Offices Act to have regard to the convenience of the public in the district. ROOFING MATERIALS SOUTH ISLAND SUPPLY STATEMENTS CONTRADICTED (P.A.) DUNEDIN, Friday Characterising the tenor of recent publicity regarding the supply of roofing materials in the South Island as "midleading, mischievous and in part entirely incorrect," Mr J. S. Fletcher, managing director of Dominion Industries, Ltd., said tonight that Mr James Fletcher, Commissioner of Works, was not the Building Controller, nor did he or his department promulgate the regulations referred to by Mr C. S. Thomas in the recent action in Christchurch. These regulations in common with other regulations governing control and use of building materials during war, the speaker continued, were brought in by the Ministry of Supply prior to the appointment of Mr James Fletcher either as Commissioner of Defence Construction or as Commissioner of Works. The Ministry of Supply, through its administrative officer, the Building Controller. Mr G. W. Albertson, directly administered these regulations, a fact well .known to responsible representatives of the building industry. Tn regard to the allegation that the Commissioner of "Works was the chief shareholder of Dominion Industries, Ltd., Mr J. S. Fletcher pointed out that this company Was owned entirely by Fletcher Holdings, Ltd., a public company, in which Mr James Fletcher wis only one of several hundred New Zealand shareholders, ft was authoritatively stated, therefore, that he had no direct control of the policy of Dominion Industries, Ltd., nor was he a director, nor was he able, as had been suggested, to direct the use of that com pany's products in preference to other materials.

"Dominion Industries. Lrci , ro*>cnts irresponsible comment that lins been aroused by ill-advised statements in the recent action," Mr .T. S. Fletcher added. "It is regrettable that, to cover misdemeanours of his clients, Mr Thomas, when occupying a privileged position, should have advanced such argument in support of his'case."

AWANUI HARBOUR SILTING (0.C.) _ AWANUI, Friday Efforts are being made by the Auarnri Harbour Board to again secure the service of the Works Department in the dredging of the Awnnui Piver from the harbour to the wharves, as silting is now causing concern to shipping interests using the river. A dragline was previous!v used by the department to dredge the river. The silting has resulted in vessels coming to the wharves grounding, and in one case a ship was held up for 24 hourß« ,