CLEARING BLOCKED ROAD

Opotiki News, Volume I, Issue 36, 25 May 1938, Page 4

CLEARING BLOCKED ROAD

' ■ allegations de.4?ed ■ •« : jsiii.' . “NO FO U ND AT J ON ’ ’ If, MINISTER ’S DEdIiARAT lON v ; ——: • / ;4 : .TtVllegations* that tile " ps|fcy oil the •Gbveniment in* encouraging Apu'jjloyees nt* to. work qn suited, ;iii roads .riniainj^ v for undulyiii Ifeiigthyi-V; ,pj&i6il& y altfl't’ ~being blocked ,'by 'tfjns, jjrqjnptetl a positive declaration by )tht/i\rinister ofYPublic Works that curred cannot' hefattributod yto Government action.oi^oiiev. is no foundation, Air Seinylpy/ declares, for suggesting, that departiuentril. employees are not-willing andimWious to give the best possible service \to the public. '*'7 ' .... r l'he Alinistcr’s. s,taternte'.TS is contained in a letter to Mj .V. O. Hultquist. M.P. for the Bay Plenty, who re- , i it'.' .

placed before Air SenpJe the rebf%s'i?ntatioiis made to him, to the -K f » effect, 'that roads .remained blocked by • .-|H*<r* * .v----slips he&xyise the Government eneour,'aged employees'not to work on Better conditions of Employ^ “It is, of course, a fact tMt present Government lias introduced j better conditions of -emplo.ymei.it, in tjie direction of jboth increased wages and a shorter ' working week, and. these advantages are operating satisfactorily as regards normal activities,” states the Alinistcr’s reply. “In eases of emergency, however, it is usual to call upon men to work outside normal hours, as may be found necessary, in order that road comnnmieatioi\s may. be kept open. I .V can sav definitely that no instruction’s, ' have been issued by me to nient that men may not on other than regular .-working where urgent circuiiisjtahV;es[^|fff^e. “As far as main' -niginvays under departmental supervision ate concerned, it is usual to respond promptly in cases of emergency, hud to pay overtime if necessary, but tins’does not mean tliafc.alli slip's require to be totally cleared under such conditions. Rather it is desirtljlp that clearance lie made to allow traffic to* pass, and then ,to work under normal conditions, -j Ti “1< have found/ from experience,... Athat there is n<< reluctance on tlio. part of employees' to Respond to any s emergency ycai 1, adcL .I. .would say . that anyoneHvlio> suggests otherwise is .nbpapell informed on the matter. Position of County Roads. “In the cafe of county roads oi* main hig]nv£p';S, under county-, control. * the irtatter if one entirely for the local body. it£pf -to administer,' and if - those resp&isiblo do not provide adcto the ratepayers, tlio remedy appears to lie in the hands of f the ratepayers themselves. 1, “It is passible- that certain sections Dof public. opinion may be ing to discredit the Government oil % the slightest pretext, a ink. the erffcicism- spu ha -*? received may JVave beep prompted .V inbtipes; ‘but, as. Alinister d ; am sat-//.. thp r there foundation for • that vf departmental em- v . - not filling ,and anxious to ',-G giv'o' tlil> best possible service to tho fypulA'f, even though it might a.t timet, involve dJOrsonal sacrifice.” >V ~• !"*■ ■'t". '■ / _