SECRECY ORDER

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

SECRECY ORDER

HOSPITAL STAFFS DECLARATION TO BE SIGNED Members of the staffs of all departments of institutions under the control of the Auckland Hospital Board are being asked to sign a declaration of fidelity and secrecy. Hitherto, such a declaration has been signed by members of the clerical staffs only, but nowall departments are being brought into line.

An official of the board stated yesterday that the declaration was similar to the one used in the Government service. It had been felt that an employee who signed the form would be more inclined to bear in mind his responsibility to retrain from irresponsible talk than one employed merely on a verbal "understanding." The form, which is to be signed by each employee before the head of his, or her, department, is a declaration that the employee will faithfully perform the duties imposed, and will maintain. the secrecy of all matters coming to his, or her, knowledge appertaining to the business of the _ board, or in. relation to any patient in the board's institutions. It has been stated, unofficially, that some members ol the staffs of the board's institutions have refused to sign, and consider that the course adopted by the board is an attempt to prevent any information reaching union secretaries on staff matters, but an official said yesterday that he had no direct knowledge of such objections, which he thought wore groundless. The course being followed was in pursuance of a recommendation from the Complaints Committee of the board, made following a recent case ot leakage of information from the X-ray department at the Auckland Hospital eoncerniug a patient.

MANY DIVORCES VERY MARKED INCREASE 803 PETITIONS THIS YEAR The total of 803 petitions for divorce or for restitution of conjugal rights filed at the Auckland Supreme Court this year up to yesterday, which marked the end of the third quarterly session, shows a notable increase on all previous records. The figure is already Ifin hevond Inst year's total of 703. which passed the record by nearly 200 ■U the same stage last year the number of petitions lodged was 516. Previous to last vear the greatest number of petitions' received was in 1039, when there were. 518. Unless there should come a sharp falling off it would appear that this year more than 1000 petitions will he lodged. The most common ground on winch petitions for divorce are based continues to be the separation of the parties for upward of three years, but there are also manv petitions based on failure to comply with a degree of the Court for restitution of conjugal rights or on adultery. The ground of desertion is not very common.

COSTS SOUGHT DEHYDRATION WORKS OPERATIONS AT PUKEKOHE (S.R.) WELLINGTON, Friday The .cost of erecting the dehydration works at Pukekolie and the plant and equipment was sought by Mr J. NMassey (Opposition—Franklin) during consideration of the vole for the Internal Marketing Division in the House of Representatives today. He also asked the amount paid for vegetables received at the works.

Mr Massey inquired if the Government had received any reports from experts from America who had visited the works. It would also be interesting to know the extent of the orders placed by the Americans for dehydrated products. There had been adverse reports on dehydrated foods. It seemed that now they were not looked upon as favourably as formerly and that the trend was for canned commodities instead. Mr Massey also asked the reason for the change to the quick-freeze method. There was obviously something wrong that dehydrated goods were not acceptable. It was evident that the site, buildings and plant at Pukekohe represented a cost of about £400,000. The Minister of Finance. Mr Nash, said he questioned whether the Minister of Marketing, Mr Roberts, could give the information requested by Mr Massey concerning the Pukekohe works. They were erected at the request of the Americans to ensure certain products lor the Pacific area. There were certain details in connection with lend-lease involved, but when the information asked for was available Mr Nash would be glad to supply it to the House. The best time to do that would be 011 the War Expenses Account, from which pavments for the works had been made

Mr Roberts «aid tliero had been no reduction in orders from the American forces. Any change find not been mode because of a failure, as the quick-freeze machinery had been ordered at the same time as the dehydration plant. Mr W. J. Broadfoot (Opposition— asked if there was any likelihood of the industry being carried on after the war. Mr Nash: Tn some lines, yes. With others, no. THE SMALL FARMS SETTLERS' HARD CONDITIONS fS.R.) WELLINGTON, Friday The opinion that the farms established under the small farms development scheme were too small and were in the main uneconomic units was expressed by Mr S. W. Smith (Opposition —Bay of Islands) when the Land for Settlement Estimates were being discussed in the House of Representatives today. Mr Smith said it would be to the benefit of all concerned if some of these areas oould be combined into one unit. People on the small farms'were living under very hard conditions. They were not getting a fair deal, and the department was getting the major share of the cream cheque and proceeds of other commodities produced. The tenants could get no tenure of any description and there was no incentive to a settler to work a place if he could be put off it at a moment's notice. When the scheme Avas started hy the previous Government the definite promise was given that the settlers would he given some security of tenure, but this had not been done. The Minister of Lands. Mr Skinner. said that already 200 small areas had heen amalgamated and made into economic holdings.