GOVERNMENT PAPER

Southland Times, Issue 24758, 1 June 1942, Page 6

GOVERNMENT PAPER

OLD DOCUMENTS RE USED

A recent further inventory of paper held by State departments has made necessary the imposition of instructions, more rigid than formerly, on its use. The Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon. W. E. Parry, stated recently that a ransacking of the stationery stores and recording rooms of all departments had enabled large bundles of obsolete forms and memoranda sheets with clean backs to be brought into use for typewriting paper. On the back of some of the paper now being re-used because of the shortage appeared ancient rules and instructions issued under the authority of several previous GovernorsGeneral, recalling interesting times and events of other days. In addition to the publications committee, consisting of several perm i it heads of departments, which had for some time been operating, a Cabinet committee, set up this year, was functioning to consider the necessity or otherwise of requests for printing Government publications. The two committees had succeeded in conserving considerable quantities of paper. The pruning knife had been applied to the bulk of departmental reports. Annual reports to Parliament this year would be rigidly curtailed. They would contain only facts necessary to comply with the law and Parliamentary usage.