WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1978
19
ALLOWANCES FOR COURT WITNESSES TO BE INCREASED
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THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY APPROVED RULES MADE BY THE CHIEF JUSTICE TO INCREASE THE MAXIMUM RATES OF ALLOWANCE FOR BOTH ORDINARY WITNESSES GIVING EVIDENCE IN CRIMINAL TRIALS OR ATTENDING CORONERS' ENQUIRIES FROM $36 TO $50 A DAY, AND FROM $18 TO $25 FOR ATTENDANCE OF LESS THAN FOUR HOURS.
INTRODUCING THE TWO RESOLUTIONS TO SEEK THE COUNCIL'S APPROVAL FOR THE INCREASES, THE ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL, THE HON. GARTH THORNTON SAID THE AMENDED RULES ALSO REVOKE RULE 6 UNDER THE CRIMINAL PROCEDURE ORDINANCE TO PROVIDE FOR AN ALLOWANCE AT A SPECIAL RATE FOR SEAMEN.
+THIS IS NOT NOW FELT TO BE NECESSARY AND HENCEFORTH SEAMEN WILL BE TREATED THE SAME AS EVERYONE ELSE, MR. THORNTON SAID.
HE ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THE ALLOWANCES AT THE EXISTING RATES HAVE BEEN IN OPERATION SINCE 1971 AND THE INCREASES SOUGHT HAVE BEEN APPROVED BY THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.
RESULTS OF EMPLOYMENT SURVEY
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ABOUT 385,000 PEOPLE WERE ENGAGED IN WHOLESALE, RETAIL AND IMPORT/EXPORT TRADES, RESTAURANTS AND HOTELS IN JUNE THIS YEAR, SLIGHTLY LESS THAN THE EMPLOYMENT LEVEL IN MARCH. ACCORDING TO A RECENT EMPLOYMENT SURVEY BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.
A BREAKDOWN OF THE EMPLOYMENT LEVEL OF INDIVIDUAL TRADES SHOWS THAT SLIGHT INCREASES WERE RECORDED IN WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADES, AND HOTELS AND BOARDING HOUSES IN JUNE THIS YEAR COMPARED WITH FIGURES FOR MARCH.
COMPARED WITH JUNE LAST YEAR THE EMPLOYMENT FIGURE IN RESTAURANTS AND HOTELS WENT UP BY THREE PER CENT TO ABOUT 118,000 IN JUNE THIS YEAR.
/THE