CONTROLS LIFTED

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25301, 7 September 1945, Page 6

CONTROLS LIFTED

MANY REGULATIONS SECURITY RESTRICTIONS STATEMENT BY MR ERASER (S.R.) WELLINGTON, Thursday Sixty-two emergency regulations and amendments are being revoked immediately and the remaining emergency regulations are being examined with a view to their being revoked immediately this is possible, according to a statement made by tlu: Prime Minister, Mr I'Yaser, tonight. The regulations which have been revoked are mainly security controls and affect a wide range of "activities by the public which had to be curtailed during wartime. "It is clear on the advice tendered 1 to the Government that there is no longer any need on security grounds for continuing these general security restrictions and arrangements have been made to revoke -the majority of these regulations." said the Prime Minister. "These include the Public Safety Fmergencv Regulations and amendments which dealt with statements and activities inimical to the war effort and the Censorship and Publicity Fmergencv Regulations and amendments which made provision for censorship of postal and telegraphic communications and printed matter. Wharves and Ships "As already announced, press censorship ceased immediately following the conclusion ol hostilities with Japan, but it was necessary to retain the machinery of the Censorship and Publicity Fniergeucy Regulations until the i forma! surrender of Japan had been I completed. Now that this has been signed the regulations are being completely revoked. It is not possible ini- ! mediately to revoke the Shipping Safety j Fmergcncy Regulations, under which i action is taken to ensure the security of ships and wharves, and under an amendment to which the Naval Hoard has power to control the movement of j small craft. "It is possible, however, to dispense; with the special security precautions i which have been maintained over | wharves and ships and in future access 1 to wharves and ships will not be re-j stricted bv the police. It will be essential in the meantime to retain the Shipping Safety Ftnergericy Regulations ■ under which vessels are prohibited from ; entering certain areas, This restriction is in the interests of the ships themselves. All minefields and other dangerous areas are being cleared as rapidly as possible and as soon as this is done the regulations will be revoked. The Fishing Boats Emergency Regulations also are being revoked." Withdrawing Military Guards Mr I'Yaser added that action is being taken to withraw military guards on the few remaining vital points around i the Dominion. In future guards will | be limited to establishments of a strictly | military character, such as defence works and installations containing | stores of v aluable military equipment, ; large supplies of which are still held in I the country. From time to time a num- ! her of important places have been declared "protected places" under the Protected Places Fmergcncy Regulations. In nearly all cases the declarations are being revoked. Another security control to be revoked is the Photography Fmergcncy Regulations which prohibited the taking of photographs of ships, wireless installations and other places. Similar action also has been taken with respect to the Change of Name I'hnergeney Regulations. The Radio Fmergcncy Regulations. 15)40, also have been revoked and all amateur transmitting equipment taken into custody will be returned to their owners. It will no longer be necessary to obtain permits and licences from the Post Oflice before transmit ting equipment. Other Regulations Ended In addition to the security regulations which are being revoked the Prime Minister mentioned other general regulations which were now being reI yoked. The Billeting Emergency Regu- | lations, which give powers for the requisition of accommodation for members of the forces, and the Hospital Accomtnoda t ion Fmergencv Regulations, 15)10. giving power to take land and buildings for hospital accommodation required because of the war. will be revoked. So also will be the Hospital Administration Emergency Regulations, 15)12. dealing with the medical examination and treatment of service personnel and recruits. Various controls have been established under the supjVjy control and other enabling emergency regulations whrbh are administered by the Minister of Supply. None of these regulations has as yet been revoked, because of critical material shortages which it will take some time to remedy, but over .'3O control orders or notices under these regulations affecting particular materials have been revoked. These include notices affecting paper, certain classes of electrical appliances and the manufacture of domestic radio sets, as well as other controls affecting many critical materials. Transport Control Issues A variety of other regulations administered by the Internal Marketing, Justice. Labour, Marine, Mental Hospitals, Navy, Post and Telegraph, Works, Transport and Treasury Depart- | ments and the War Damage Commission have also been revoked.

Among the regulations administered by the Transport Department which are being revoked are the Motor Drivers Emergency Regulations, 1941, which provide for the waiving of tests for drivers on the licences not being renewed for two years or more; the Motor Vehicles Impressment Emergency Regulations, 1911, which gave power to take motor vehicles for the use of the armed forces; the Traffic Control Corps Emergency Regulations, which constituted a traffic control section of the Home Guard; the Passenger Service Timetables Emergency Regulations, 191.'1. which gave power to the Minister of Transport to fix timetables for passenger services; the Road Transport Emergency Regulations, which enabled the Minister to mobilise and direct motor vehicles in an emergency. The regulations controlling the operation of taxi drivers are now being modified and the control now applies only in the four main centres. DRIVERS IN SERVICES WARTIME RULES REVOKED (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Thursday Two wartime transport regulations have been revoked, according to a notice appearing in the Gazette tonight. Uncjer these regulations certain provisions applying to motor-cyclists and motordrivers in civil life were removed from those serving as motor-cyclists or as drivers in the armed forces, including the Home Guard. Now that the regulations have been revoked such cyclists or drivers will have to comply with requirements placed 011 civilian motorists. NEW RATION BOOKS ISSUE NEXT MONTH (S R.) WELLINGTON, Thursday New ration hooks will be issued next month and are now being printed, according to a statement mane today by the Rationing Controller, Mr A. J. Cos-t-dloe. He added that the books would lie much the same as those now in use. DAIRY FARM WORKERS WAGE RATES FIXED (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Thursday An agricultural workers' wage fixation order, gazetted tonight, has fixed the minimum rates of wages for agricultural workers employed on dairy farms. The weekly wages are: Workers under 17 rears, £1 15s; 17-18. £2 ss; 18-19, £2 15s; 19-20, £3 ss; 20-21, £3 15s; over 21, £4 ss. If board and lodging are not provided these rates are to be increased by 20a a week.