STATUTORY RULES.
1919. No. 174.
REGULATIONS UNDER THE WAR PRECAUTIONS ACT 1914–1918.
I, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL in and over the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby make the following Regulations under the War Precautions Act 1914–1918, to come into operation forthwith.
Dated this second day of July, 1919.
R. M. FERGUSON,
Governor-General.
By His Excellency’s Command,
E. J. RUSSELL,
Acting Minister of State for Defence.
Amendment of War Precautions (Flax) Regulations 1918.
(Statutory Rules 1918, No. 80, as amended by Statutory Rules 1918, No. 243.)
1. Regulation 6 of the War Precautions (Flax) Regulations is amended—
(a) by omitting paragraph (b);
(b) by omitting paragraph (e) and inserting in its stead the following paragraph:—
“(e) to appraise the value of the flax crops grown during the years 1918 and 1919;”;
(c) by omitting from paragraph (g) the word “green”; and
(d) by adding at the end thereof the following paragraph:—
“and (j) to carry out tests—
(i) to ascertain the productiveness and disease resistance of flax seed; and
(ii) of appliances and processes appertaining to the manufacture of flax products,
and to carry out such other tests or experimental work as is directed by the Minister.”.
2. Regulation 7 of the War Precautions (Flax) Regulations is amended—
(a) by omitting the words “Victorian-grown” and inserting in their stead the words “Australian-grown”; and
(b) by inserting after the words “flax seed” the words “for sowing purposes”.
3. After regulation 8 of the War Precautions (Flax) Regulations the following regulations are inserted:—
Flax to be delivered to Committee.
“8a. All flax grown from Australian or other approved seed during the year 1919 shall, unless the Minister otherwise directs he delivered unthreshed to the Committee or to such person as the Committee directs, at such place as the Committee specifies, and the Committee shall, subject to these Regulations, he authorized to purchase the flax on behalf of the Commonwealth Government
Flax to be stacked pending delivery to Committee.
“8b. (1) Until the Committee specifies the place at which the flax referred to in the last-preceding regulation is to be delivered the grower shall, subject to the directions of the Committee, stack and (if necessary) cover, to the satisfaction of the Committee, the flax when properly dry.
“(2) The Committee may grant to the grower such allowance, not exceeding Two shillings and sixpence per ton, as it deems equitable towards defraying the cost incurred by the grower in stacking and covering the flax.
Financial assistance to flax milling companies.
“8c. The Committee may, subject to the approval of the Minister, advance money or machinery to, or otherwise financially assist, Co-operative or other Companies, in which the majority in number of the shares in the Company are held bonâ fide by flax growers, for the specific purpose of enabling them to acquire, lease, erect, or operate flax mills.”.
4. Regulation 10 of the War Precautions (Flax) Regulations is amended—
(a) by inserting in sub-regulation (1), after the word “flax” (first occurring), the words “grown during the year 1918 and”; and
(b) by inserting in sub-regulation (2), after the word “flax” (first occurring), the words “grown during the year 1918 and”.
5. After regulation 10 of the War Precautions (Flax) Regulations the following regulation is inserted:—
Price of flax grown in 1919.
“10a. (1) The price to be paid to the grower by the Committee for standard quality flax grown during the year 1919 and purchased in pursuance of these Regulations shall be £6 per ton.
“(2) In this regulation ‘standard quality flax’ means unthreshed flax appraised by the Committee as of average quality, the average length of which when cut or pulled is thirty inches, and which is well seeded, free from disease, noxious or other weeds or foreign matter, properly harvested and properly tied in sheaves, and delivered in good order and condition to the Committee or to such person as the Committee directs at such place as the Committee specifies.
“(3) The price to be paid for flax which is above or below standard quality shall be determined by the Committee on the basis of the price fixed by this regulation for standard quality flax.
“(4) The amounts realized on the sale of the products from flax grown during the year 1919 and purchased under these Regulations shall, subject to deductions to meet—
(a) the prices paid under sub-regulation (1) of this regulation:
(b) the cost incurred by the Committee in treating the flax; and
(c) the expenses of the Committee in developing and controlling the industry,
be distributed to the growers of the flax proportionately to the value of the crop delivered by each grower to the Committee, or in such other manner as the Minister, upon the recommendation of the Committee, determines:
Provided that nothing in this regulation shall be deemed to authorize the reduction of the price of flax of standard quality below £6 per ton.”
6. After regulation 11 of the War Precautions (Flax) Regulations following regulation is inserted:—
Committee may authorize persons to exercise powers
“11a. For the purpose of these Regulations the Committee may, subject to the approval of the Minister, authorize any person to exercise any of the powers or functions conferred on the Committee under these Regulations.”.
7. Regulations 12 and 13 of the War Precautions (Flax) Regulations are repealed.
8. Regulations 14 and 15 of the War Precautions (Flax) Regulations are repealed and the following regulations are inserted in their stead:—.
Power to ask questions and inspect books.
“14. For the purposes of these Regulations the Committee shall have power to—
(a) ask questions and require the production of books or documents in relation to the purchase, sale, disposal, origin, treatment or manufacture of any flax or any product thereof; and
(b) enter at any reasonable hour in the day-time upon any premises or place in which there is, or is believed by the Committee to be, any flax or any product thereof.
Failure to answer questions, &c.
“15. Any person who refuses or fails to comply with any requisition or requirement made, or to answer questions asked, in pursuance of these Regulations, or who resists, obstructs or in any way interferes with any person, authorized by the Committee to exercise the powers and functions of the Committee, in the exercise of any power or function conferred upon him in pursuance of these Regulations shall be guilty of an offence.”.
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