MINISTRY OF WORKS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 60, 13 March 1943, Page 3

MINISTRY OF WORKS

ACCOMMODATION PROBLEM P.A.) Wellington, March 12. Moving the second reading of the Ministry of Works Bill the Minister of Public Works, Hon. R. Semple, said that the measure co-ordinated the Housing and Public Works Departments so that they could tackle the big jobs which would face them after the war. He denied that it would mean the end of the small builder.

The Leader of the Opposition, Mr. S. G. Holland, objected to rushing such an important measure through the House so quickly. He regarded the Minister’s explanation of the measure as reasonable, but said he thought it would place too much power in the hands of the Commissioner of Works, whose appointment was provided for in the Bill.

The Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. P. Fraser, said he had always stood for a 52-week wage for everybody, whatever might be the vicissitudes and happenings in the man’s family. He also made no apology for the minimum wage or sickness provisions for the general run of workers. He took it the House on both sides agreed to these two principles.

Mr. Holland: That stuff ought to come before the House and not by regulation. Mr. Fraser said Mr Holland’s was a reasonable request. He added that he hoped that before the session was over it might be possible to bring down something on the lines he had mentioned.

Mr. F. W. Doidge (Opposition, Tauranga) criticised the use of men and materials and the expenditure of money at the present time in making additions to Parlimaent House, including a new suite for the Prime Minister. The story was going round that the cost of the additions would run into £lO,OOO, and each room would probably cost £lOOO. This was no time for building luxurious suites. Mr. Fraser interjected that he had no objections to Mr. Doidge raising the matter, but he thought that what he had said might be open to an entirely wrong impression. Mr. Fraser referred to the difficulties under which the Prime Minister’s Department had been working through lack of accommodation, and said it was necessary that better conditions and more adequate accommodation should be provided.