INDUSTRIAL EFFICIENCY

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2994, 3 February 1917, Page 10

INDUSTRIAL EFFICIENCY

NEW BOARD MEETS

IMPORTANT WORK IN HAND

Tlip Industrial Efficiency Board met in 'Wellington yesterday morning, and began the very important work that it has undertaken at the- request of the Government. The members of the board, whose appointment was mentioned recently by the Acting-Prims Minister (the Hon. J. Allen) are four of New Zealand's most prominent business men, their names being:—TV., Ferguson, Wellington; J. H. Gunson, Auckland; .1. A. Frostick. Christchurch; and W; D. Hunt, Invercargill.

,'fhe iirst business of the board is to consider certain proposals recently placed before Cabinet by the Hon. J. Allen for the organisation of the manpower of the Dominion, the protection of essential industries, and the development of new industries with a view to after-war trade competition. The proposals, which are understood to involve the creation of district committees with advisory powers, were considered by Cabinet, but the Ministers were not prepared to adopt thorn without further cxnert advice, and it was decided that they should be. referred 1 to the board. The scheme will be re-, turned to the Cabinet with amendments or suggestions, and will then be put into operation as speedily as possible. . The powers and functions of the board have not yet been defined exactly. In fact, the board, like somo similar bodies in the -United- Kingdom, can scarcely be said to have official existence. The members, who are serving the State without payment, have come together at the invitation of the Acting-Prime Minister, and they are placing at the disposal of the Government their wide business experience and their great knowledge of industrial affairs. It may be found necessary later 'to.give tlicm the powers of a lioyal Commission, in order that they may take evidence and call for the production of papers. The Hon. J. Allen stated yesterday that the work of the. -hoard would include a survey of the Dominion's industries, with a View to their classification 'as essential, partially essential, or nonessential; an "estimation of the amount of labour required to maintain the essential industries, and consideration of the effective utilisation and distribution of that labour: and the study of such problems as the. preservation of the businesses of men who had to join tho Forces, the development of industries, the utilisation of wastcproducts, and. the increase of production. Tho Minister said he wished it to be understood clearly that the members of the hoard-were giving their very valuable services to the State on purely patriotic grounds. . .