“SAFETY FIRST”

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 162, 29 September 1927, Page 18

“SAFETY FIRST”

LAWS FOR MACHINERY AN OVERDUE - AMENDMENT (THE SUN'S Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday. QAFETY first is the principle O which the Hon. G. T. Anderson says guided the Government in the planning of the Inspection of Machinery Amendment Bill, which was amended extensively in select committee recently, and which was brought down for committal stage in the House of Representatives this evening. Mr. Anderson said that there had been no amendment to this law since 1914, and the amendments made were really overdue. The progress made in machinery during the last decade had made them very necessary indeed. Safety first was now a world-wide concern, and the Bill was intended to make more drastic safeguards than were in existence. One of the main objects of the Bill was to clear the way for the consolidation of the law, which he hoped would take place next session. Mr. W. E. Parry said that he had a complaint for what did not appear in the Bill rather than what was embraced by the measure. For instance, no provision was made for the registration of enginedrivers. Mr. Anderson: I have seen the secretary of the Enginedrivers’ Association, and ho is satisfied with what I say. Mr. Parry did not agree with the existence of a. law which permitted the State to violate its provisions with immunity, but which imposed stringent restrictions upon private employers. This was permissible in the case of uncertificated enginedrivers. However, casualties had occurred with disconcerting frequency, and in almost every case which he could recall uncertificated enginedrivers were working in the interests of the State, yet the dependants of those who lost their lives in such accidents were unable to claim recompense from the State. He advocated the insertion of a clause making the Crown directly subject to the same restriction as the private employer. The Bill was sent into committee, and progress reported immediately. The committal stage will be taken later.