EFFICIENCY BOARD.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16429, 24 January 1919, Page 6

EFFICIENCY BOARD.

FINISHING ITS WORK. THE PRESENT POSITION. ' The Canterbury Commissioner on th« National Efficiency Board, Mr J. A. Frostiok, informed a representative of "The Press" yesterday that ho had received a telegram from the chairman of the Board (Mr William Ferguson) regarding a statement in a Press Association telegram from Christchurch, published in Wellington, to the effect that "the National Efficiency Board has resigned on the Government's refusal to placo the Board on a basis more satisfactory to members." It was also stated that he (Mr Frostick) had said that ho could not deny the reported resignation of the members of the Board. "The statement with regard to the resignation of the Board/' said Mr 'Frostick, "is quite incorrect; I did say that 1 coula not deny the report that the Board was finishing' its work next month, and evidently an inoorrect interpretation of these words was telegraphed to Wellington.- I havo communicated with the chairman of the Board, and suggested that in the pnblio interest the Board's memorandum to the Acting-Prime Minister (Sir James Allen),, of January 15th, dealing with the subjeot, should be published. The Board has reviewed its position with regard to matters directly arising out of the war —matters' which are referred to definitely in the order of reference establishing the Board. In this respect the Board's work is, of necessity, nearly completed, and the Board Bimply desires to know the wishes of the Government as to. its future operations, particularly in regard to post-war work, and has made it perfectly clear that the Board as a whole desires, and the Commissioners individually desire, to help in any way which may be of benefit it? the Dominion. It is necessary that some indication should be given to the Board as to the direction its investigations should take in view of there being no reference to the matters in the order of reference. This entirely disproves that there was any suggestion of resignation ; but unless tiie Government desires the Board to do work outside the existing order of reference, the Board's work is practically ended, and as apparently the Government does not desiro such work to be done, the Board must go out of office, there being nothing more to do."