WHARF ACCESS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25289, 24 August 1945, Page 8

WHARF ACCESS

THE PUBLIC'S EIGHTS WELLINGTON BOARD'S MOVE (0.C.) WELLINGTON, Thursday Immediate reopening of the wharves to the public is to be urged by a deputation from the Wellington Harbour Board, which is to wait on the Minister of Defence, Mr Jones. A decision to that effect was made by the board. The question was raised by Mr JR. L. Macalister. When the war ended, he said, the Commissioner of Police, Mr J. Cummings, stated that it was not intended to allow the public further access meantime. At the same time the I'rime Minister, Mr Fraser, announced that all unnecessary controls were to be abolished without delay. "It is time one took the subjedt up more actively and called the commissioner's bluff," he said. "It is up to the board to say who is going to run the wharves- —the board, or a civil servant." The public had had the right—not the privilege—to use the wharves for many years before the war and would not stand for continued restriction. The public was paying £50,000 to I*oo,ooo a year for 10 t0.60 police officers on the wharves when half a dozen night watchmen could do the job equally well. It was time the commissioner was told that police were needed in other places. "The public will not interfere with the working of the ships," said Mr W. L. J. Blyth. "We should ask that the restrictions be cut right out." Mr W. L. Fitzherbert supported tho move on behalf of country people, for whom, he said, the wharves were one of the chief attractions of the city. Mr .1. O. Johnson said he was not in favour of unrestricted access for the public when ships were working, because there was an element of danger which the average person did not understand. Mr A. M. Macfarlane said that they were merely asking for the restoration of conditions that had always obtained before the war. ( Mr Macalister said that the board had a reserve fund of £20,000 to cover accidents, but in all the years that the public had been on the wharves no one had been injured. AID IN PACIFIC NEW ZEALAND'S PAKT MacARTHUR'S APPRECIATION (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Thursday The Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, has received tho following messago from General Mac Arthur: , "As I will shortly relinquish command over that part of the South-west Pacific area lying southward of the Philippines, I desire to take this opportunity to express my deep appreciation to you and the people of New Zealand for the magnificent co-operation extended to me in the discharge of my responsibility in our common cause. "The Third New Zealand Division acquitted itself with the utmost gallantry in the. Pacific battles in which it was engaged, thereby contributing great ly to the success of our campaigns in the South-west Pacific area. Your aitforces in their support of ground operations and attacks on Rabaul and enemy positions on Bougainville have equally commanded my admiration and high commendation. From our association, I shall ever hold the New Zealand people in deep affection, and I pray God will further their country's cause in the future, as He has so obviously blessed her arms in the past."

COAL MINERS' PAY THE RECENT INCREASES A GOVERNMENT SUBSIDY (P.A.) WESTPORT, Thursday The mining controller, Mr C. H. Benney, stated today that he had been advised by the acting-Minister of Mines, Mr O'Brien, that the Government had decided to meet the extra cost arising out of the recent increases of 7$ per cent hewers piecework rates and Is 6d a shift to other workers by means of subsidy. The increased rates of pay, approved h- the Government in respect of the State collieries and authorised by the Coal Mines Council for privatelyowned mines, followed the pronouncement by the Arbitration Court concerning wages generally and are retrospective to May 7 last. Mr Benney "said that the subsidy would be computed on a tonnage basis to compensate for the actual increased cost. A circular setting out the procedure would he issued shortly hv the Mines Department. BUILDING HOUSES MORE FREEDOM URGED The need for reviewing the permit system in relation to .house building was referred to at yesterday's meeting of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. ••"Permits should not be withheld for genuine housing work in the present circumstances," said the chairman, Mr H. J. Lichtenstein. Some control might be necessary over purely luxury building, but permits should be granted in every case for houses, it being left to the applicants and their builders to find out whether material was available and to take steps to obtain it. USE OF ARMY CAMPS PALMERSTON NORTH MOVE (0.C.) PALMERSTON NORTH, Thursday With the object of obtaining the use of the large showgrounds military ordnance camp as a transit camp for the accommodation of families needing houses, tho Palmerston North «. ,■.> Council is pressing the matter upon the defence authorities. It has also been suggested that the site of the former small military camp at Hokowhitu be used, hut it lacks the amenities of the showgrounds. The showgrounds buildings housed several hundred families who were evacuated from Napier after the earthquake in 1931.