NEW ORGANISATION

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 106, 6 May 1944, Page 7

NEW ORGANISATION

N.Z. RECONSTRUCTION PLANS (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Friday. The establishment of an organisation to plan post-war reconstruction was announced to-night by the acting-Prime Minister. Mr. Sullivan. Its chief administrative officer will be Mr. J. S. Hunter, whq will relinquish his present post of Director of National Service and take up his new duties immediately. "It will be obvious to all," said Mr. Sullivan, "that the Government's paramount responsibility in the crisis we have been passing through is the winning of the war. Although that responsibility lias been discharged to the utmost of our resources, the Government has not by any means been unmindful of the tremendous problems that must inevitably arise when hostilities cease.

"Already much has been done by various Departments of State under Cabinet direction to survey the potentialities. of the future. The rearrangement of administrative machinery now decided upon will ensure that the plans and other proposals relating to post-war problems emanating. from all sources will be studied by officers specially selected by reason of their knowledge and experience and will eventually be welded into one composite national plan for consideration by the Government. Co-ordination of Plans "To achieve this purpose the Government has decided to establish an organisation for national development to examine and co-ordinate all proposals relating to post-war problems. The organisation will be under the direct control of the Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser, and will be presided over by a special Cabinet committee consisting of the Ministers primarily concerned." Mr. Sullivan continued that a chief executive officer would be appointed, with whom would be associated as an executive committee a number of specially qualified officers drawn from Government Departments and possessing a wide knowledge and experience. There would also be attached to this central organisation a small staff of research officers with the necessary qualifications for the study of. the particular problems which most inevitably arise. The organisation for national development would in no way derogate from the_ responsibility of Departments to their Ministers or from their responsibility in coping with all problems closely associated with their own administration.

"The new organisation," said the Minister, "is designed to examine projects dealing with reconstruction, to mould or modify them as may be necessary to fit them into a practical plan, as well as to give guidance and assistance to the various departments engaged in the work. However, the departments in turn will be required to widen considerably the study of post-war problems. Consequently, steps will be taken to associate in combined committees department officials,. together with others selected who, by reason of their training and experience, can render valuable service in the solution of their problems. Outline of Procedure "The normal procedure will be for proposals to be formulated by these combined committees, which will act under the control of Ministers of the Crown, and be passed on to the central executive of the organisation for national development for examination and co-ordination into an integral part of a general plan. The proposals will then go to the committee of Ministers for consideration 'before final decision by the Cabinet. "This procedure, which follows very closely that in operation in Great Britain, is designed not only to study and plan for the long-range development .of the Dominion, but also to make special preparations for practical measures to meet the period of transition which will occur about the time of the' cessation of hostilities.

'Not only will provision be made to assist in the rapid rehabilitation of members of the armed forces, but also for the safeguarding of the livelihood of probably a greater army of civilians wnose energies have been diverted to war purposes. "The first task must obviously be the restoration of industry to a peacetime basis at a time when there will be a shortage of raw materials and a huge demand for goods," concluded Mr. Sullivan. "Mr. Hunter, who has held the position of Director of National Service during the war, has been selected as the chief administrative officer to inaugurate the new organisation, the development of which will be determined from time to time in the light of the experience gained."