BUSY MINISTER

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23316, 27 September 1945, Page 4

BUSY MINISTER

Extra Portfolios Entail Much Work (N.Z.P.A.) WELLINGTON. Sept. 26. "As vou probably know I have taken over about six of lb" Hon P. C Webus portfolios at the moment." said the Hon. j. O’Brien when he apologised after addressing a meeting of the New Zealand Road Safety Council to-day tor being unable to stay at the meeting. "Two of the portfolios seem to want a wnoie da> work to themselves. There is coal—there is a shortage of coal and we can’t oroduce cr'"y-h and labour, where people seem to stop work for some foolish reason. They usually—l don't know why—seem to do it on Friday, and every Friday we have a couple Of strikes on our hands and have to persuade them to eo back to work on Monday These extra portfolios are enough to prevent me from continued attendance at vour rneet- ' Mr O’Brien congratulated the Council on its work in increasing the safety of the New Zealand roads and mentioned the necessity for co-ordinating road. sea. rail and air transport. Soon with extra motoring not tar off. there would be an additional need for all th“ safetv precautions, particularly as many of the cars would be fairly old and many of the drivers not so al—’ as they would lie with constant driving practice.