INDUSTRY BUREAU.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 236, 5 October 1937, Page 8

INDUSTRY BUREAU.

ORGANISED DEVELOPMENT.

"WORKING COMMITTFE" OF SIX

(By Telegraph.—Special to "Star.")

WELLINGTON, this day. The work of the Bureau of Industry, created by the Government early last year to "a«*ist the Government and explore every possible avenue of organised development." is shortly to "be stimulated by an overhaul of "the committee in charge of its operations.

The bureau, ae originally conceived, was in charge of a committee consisting of the Ministers of Finance, Labour and Industries and Commerce, Messrs W. Bromley, G. A. Paseoe and J. s! Hunter, former member* of the Unemployment Board, and the heads of various technical departments, of which there were no less than nine, including the Comptroller of Customs and the Secretary to the Treasury.

From being an advisory body the bureau passed into something different with the adoption by both Houses of Parliament of the Industrial Efficiency Act which passed the Legislative Council at the end of last October. Thie, with its provision of licensing powers for industries brought under the provisions of the new legislation, its right to prepare plans for the organisation of any industry, its obligation to maintain a continuous survey of industrial methods end collection and distribution of material relating to processes, markets end other fielde likely to be of use to the manufacturer, aimed at a sort of industrial planning. But in practice it hae been found that Hβ direction ie once again too large and too vague. The Act established a committee drawn largely from the Public Service, with two nominees from the manufacturers' and two from the farmere, organisations. Once again the Government nominees were numerous, 10 in all, and included the secretary of the Standards Institute and a nominee of the Department of Agriculture. In order to provide better operating conditions it is now intended to create a "working committee" of six, including representatives of the manufarturers, and with this smaller band directing the bureau it is expected that ite task will prove easier.