QUALITY OF FLOUR

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 390, 23 March 1937, Page 6

QUALITY OF FLOUR

BREAD FOR HOSPITAL. Proposed Ministerial Inquiry. Press Association —Copyright. Auckland. March 22. The bread contractor to the Auckland Hospital Board would welcome a. public inquiry into the quality of the flour used in the making of hospital bread if it were really ia public inquiry, said the solicitor acting for the Crown Bakery when commenting today on a statement by the Minister of Industries and Commerce, Hon. D. G. Sullivan, that he proposed to bold a judicial inquiry under section 13 of the Board of Trade Act.

Commenting on the legal aspect .of the Minister’s proposal the solicitor said that the applicability of section 13 of the Board of Trade Act was not clear, for the type of inquiry which it authorised was one “for the purpose of obtaining information which may be required for the due control, regulation and maintenance of the industries of New Zealand.” The Minister, he said, did not give any indication as to the extent of the. inquiry which he proposed, an inquiry into one specific bread contract did not appear to come within the provisions of the section of the Act to which he referred. “The Minister states that he proposes. to give full publicity,” said the solicitor. “Reference to the Act shows the extent to which that is possible. The inquiry is held by the Minister himself, it must be held in private, the only persons allowed to appear before it are those whom the Minister permits to appear, the only witnesses are those called by the Minister himself and the only publication permitted is what the Minister himself thinks fit to authorise. “Being limited to any information obtained by the Minister in the course of the inquiry and to any report, findings, recommendations or comments made with respect thereto by the Minister or by his associates, such an inquiry could hardly be called a public inquiry. “The hospital contractor would welcome a public inquiry into t|re quality of flour if it were really a public inquiry,” he added. “A private inquisition such as is proposed by the Minister would not help the contractor, the hospital board or the blaking trade, and it would certainly not enlighten the public or the Minister.”