BREAD AND FLOUR

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 57, 23 March 1937, Page 7

BREAD AND FLOUR

-Preia Association.)

Inquiry Into Auckland Hospital Contract PUBLIC OR PRIVATE?

(By Telegraph-

AUCKLAND, Last Night. The hospital bread contractor would Welcpme a public inquiry iqto the quality of flour nsed in the making of hospital bread if it were reaily a public [inquiry, said the solipitor acting for the Cfown hakary when commenting on the. atatetnent by the Minister of Industries and Commerce (Hon. D. Gt Sullivanj that he proposed to hold & judicial inquiry uudpr Section 13 Of the Board of' Trade Act. Cominenting on the. leg&l aspect qf the Minister 's proppsal, the aplicitor isaid the appljcability of Soction 13 qf the Board of Trade Act was not eleqr ;as the type of inquiry which if authofiised was one "for the purpqse of obtaining information which inay bp required for the due control, regulation and mnintepance pf fhe industries oi' New Zealand J' The Minister, he said, did not give any indication as jtp the extent of the inquiry which he pro.posed, but an inquiry into one speciflc bread contract did not appear to come within the provisions of the section of the Act to which he referred. The Minigta? stutes he pjppeseB fo give full publicity, said the solicitor. Eeference tp the Agt showg the §xtent to which that is ppssible. The inquiry is held by the Minister himself and it , mugt be held in private. The only per- ' sons allqwed to appear beforp it are I ! those whopx the Minister permits to appear. The only witnegses are those callI ed by the Minister himself, and thp i only publication permitted is what thp Minister himself thinks flt to authorise, being limited tP any informutjipu obtained hy the Minister in the course pf thp inquiry and any rpport of thp iindings, reeprumendatiQns or commeuta made With respect tbereto by the Minister or by hig apspoiates. Suph an inquiry could hardly bp called a public inquiry. The hespit&l contractpr would welconie a pubUo inquiry into the quality Pf the flour if it were reaily a public inquiry. A private inquisitiqn such as is proposed By the Minister would not heip the contractor, the Hospital Board or the baking trgds, and it would certainly not enlighteu the public pr the Minister,