POST OFFICE BILL.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19141, 26 October 1927, Page 4

POST OFFICE BILL.

NEW ACCOUNTS SYSTEM. IMPORTANT AMENDMENTS PROPOSED. [THE PBESS Special Service.] •WELLINGTON* October 25. The commercialisation of various ■Government Departments has made it necessary to change the system that has been in force in regard to the Post and Telegraph Department, and with this object in view it has been decided to separate the accounts from those of the Treasury. This is the principal object of the Post and Telegraph Amendment Bill, which was read a first time in the House to-night. The first part of the Bill, comprising 15 clauses, provides for the setting up of a separate Post Office Account outside of the Treasury, a step that is deemed necessary in consequence of the commercialisation of the Department. There is a clause to determine the capital liability of the Post Office on the date of the separation of its accounts from the Treasury. In the past, apparently, no charge has been made against Government Departments for the cost of the flotation of loans nor for the cost of the administration of the Public Works Fund by the Public Works Department. < Such cost is now to be taken into consideration in arriving at the capital liability of the Post Office at April Ist, 1928. The following sections provide the machinery for moneys payable into the Post Office Account, due regard being made for the reasonable expansion of the Department: — Section 6 states what moneys shall be paid out of the Post Office Account into the Consolidated Fund Account, viz., interest on loans and savings bank profits. Section 7 provides that moneys may be paid out of the Post Office Account for the services of the Department for collections received on behalf of any person or Government Department, or moneys paid to the Treasury by way of investment in another section. / There is provision whereby, if necessary, the Consolidated Fund may aid the Department in meeting losses that it has sustained. It is included by way of a saving clause in Part 2 of the Bill. .

Ministerial Powers. There is provision permitting the Minister for Finance to fix the rates of interest in the savings bank. At present the maximum rates and limits of deposits are fixed by Statute. Apparently the Minister is now to have power to meet any emergency that may arise. Clause 17 is concerned with a definition of the words "wireless telegraphy." This proposes to make the term include "wireless telephony." Clause 18 deals with wireless licenses and penalties for offences. It sets out more clearly than tho present law the offence of establishing or being in possession of wireless apparatus without a license. It reduces the maximum penalty for non-license listeners from £SOO to £SO. In regard to transmitters the penalty is maintained at £SOO. There is a clause in the Bill protecting the Department and the public against the issue of unauthorised telephone directories or of special covers which obscure advertisements. Clause 20 is of special interest to the Department. At present the four senior officers are appointed by the GovernorGeneral and others by the-Public Service Commissioner on the recommendation of a Promotion Board of senior officers. It is now proposed that all senior officers, viz., those in receipt of over £760 a year, shall be appointed by the Governor-Genoral. This follows the precedent set in the Railway Department. It is proposed to increase the penalty for using fraudulent or cleaned stamps from £SO to £2OO, or to imprisonment for three months.