NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25299, 9 August 1943, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY

A CLAUSE in the Local Legislation •A Bill introduced into the House of Representatives last week validates in special circumstances contracts entered into between the Mayor of Eketahuna and the Borough Council and also provides for the Mayor retaining his office, notwithstanding that payments he received for work done for the council exceeded the £25 allowed to be paid in any one year to a member of a borough council for work performed under contracts with the council. The circumstances were that as a result of extensive earthquake damage in the borough last year certain urgent repairs were necessary to the water supply service and other public services. The work involved the services of a blacksmith, and the Mayor was the only blacksmith within a radius of 20 miles. Nelson Honoured The Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, visited Nelson on Saturday afternoon to present the Freyberg Flag, which was awarded to the Nelson district for subscribing a higher percentage above its quota than any other district in the Dominion in the recent Third Liberty Loan campaign. Manufacturers’ Conference

The council of the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Federation has decided to hold the annual conference at Napier, commencing on October 12. The conference will extend over three or four days, and will be opened by the Minister of Supply. Mr D. G. Sullivan. Mr C. V. Smith, the president, will occupy the chair. Kaikorai Tram Service

The belief that a fault had developed in the cable caused an official to switch off the power on the Kaikorai tram line at 5.10 p.m. on Saturday so that an inspection could be carried out. This took nearly threequarters of an hour, but as no defect could be found the service, which had been held up in the meantime, was resumed.

Gift from McKenzie Trust The Dominion executive of the New Zealand Red Cross Society recently received from the trustees‘of the £IOO,OOO trust created by Mr J. R. McKenzie for charitable and educational purposes a cheque for £206 11s lid. to be disbursed in promoting the welfare of members of the Mercantile Marine qualifying under the specific objects of the trust. The donation has been warmly acknowledged by the society. Penalties for Car Conversion The Under-Secretary of Justice has advised the Associated Chambers of Commerce that it is not proposed to introduce minimum penalties for the conversion or theft of motor cars. In a letter to the Associated Chambers the department states that persons acquainted with the practical administration of the courts find that there are many objections to the declaration of minimum penalties. The executive of the chambers has decided that, with a view to bringing about penalties more deterrent in character the Government be asked to have the law on this offence made more rigid.

Selection of Doctor* “I am advised that there is no restriction on workers or employers in the selection of doctors in respect of workers’ compensation cases,” said the Minister of Industries and Commerce (Mr Sullivan) in a reply in the House of Representatives to a question asked by Dr D. G. McMillan; The Minister also said that there was no restriction on the choice of doctors in cases where persons desired medical advice m relation to their fulfilment of obligations under the Industrial Man-power Emergency Regulations. “ If, however,” the Minister added, “ the man-power officer is not satisfied with the medical evidence put forward by any person, he may require further examination by a doctor or by a board of doctors nominated by the Minister of Industrial Man-power. This provision is considered to be an adequate safeguard against unsatisfactory medical certificates.”

Language at Work A complaint regarding the language used by workers at the Westfield Freezing Company’s works was made at a sitting of the Auckland Industrial Man-power Committee last week. Appealing against her direction to the works, a young woman 18 years of age said that she had been in the packing department two weeks. She did not like to name any particular girl as an offender in regard to language used. Mrs A. Richards, . interviewing officer of the National Service Department, said that inquiries revealed that the appellant and another girl who made a similar complaint last week were both lazy, stubborn, and indolent. They came late to work, stating as a reason that they would not travel in the same bus as the Westfield workers. Bad language was not general at the works. The chairman,'' Mr J. O. Liddell, dismissing both appeals, said that while the appellants had complained about others their own conduct had not been of the best.. Faith in Leaders

“The people of England have great faith in the way the British Government is running the war,” said Mr I. Matheson, vice-president of the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Federation, in giving a large meeting of the Wellington Manufacturers’ Association some observations made by him on his recent tour abroad as a Textile Supply Mission. “They do not have the same doubts as one sees in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.” The wonderful spirit of the people of the United Kingdom he placed as No. 1 amongst the many impressions of his tour. The people of England had developed a wonderful faith in the way things were being done, and, perhaps, situated as they were, they had good reasons for that faith. Their cooperation with the authorities and their work were most inspiring. For its part, the British Government, when asking the people to do something, always seemed to put out its propaganda in a way which left no doubts in the minds of the people that what they were being asked to do was something definitely linked up with war’s necessities.

Control of Public Fund* “That this chamber deplores the laxity in control of public funds and property disclosed in the annual report to Parliament of the Auditorgeneral, and calls on the Government to set up a competent commission to investigate and make recommendations regarding the control of war expenditure.” This resolution for submission to the Associated Chambers of Commerce, was carried by the Council of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce after Mr T. N. Gibbs had referred to the extracts from the Auditor-general’s report. “ The report makes deplorable reading," said Mr Gibbs. The chamber on a previous occasion had drawn the attention of the Government to this state of affairs, and had received a reply that in the urgency of first setting up the services such things were bound to happen and that they should be regarded as part and parcel of the cost of war. There were, however, many qualified men in the services, and there was no justification for such a sorry tale having to be told. “The Government should not be allowed to think that we are indifferent to the waste of public money,” Mr Gibbs added.