MINISTER FOR MARKETING

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21792, 26 May 1936, Page 10

MINISTER FOR MARKETING

Appointment of Hon.

W. Nash

MR G. A. DUNCAN’S NEW POST ACTING-DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT IFrom Our Parliamentary Reporter.] « WELLINGTON, May 25. An announcement of the appointment of the Hon. W. Nash as Minister for Marketing was made to-day by the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage). The new portfolio has been offered to Mr Nash by his Excellency the Governor-General (Viscount Galway) and Mr Nash has accepted. Mr Nash himself announced to-day that Mr G. A. Duncan, a member of the Executive Commission of Agriculture, appointed by the last Government, would be Assistant-Director of the marketing of dairy produce, and also Acting-Director of the new Department of Marketing. Mr Nash also indicated that the services of other members of the Execujve Commission of Agriculture would be retained for the organisation of the new department and the planning of its activities, and that work would be found for members of the staff of the New Ze\land Dairy Board. Provisions of the Act “The Primary Products Marketing Act provides for the appointment of a Director of Marketing, who will be the administrative head of the new Primary Products Marketing Department,” said Mr Nash. “It also makes provision for the appointment of one or more assist-ant-directors of marketing. At present dairying is the only industry to the products of which the act anplies, and accordingly the only substantive administrative appointment that is immediately required is that of an assistant-director in charge of the marketing of dairy produce. Mr Duncan has b.een appointed an as-sistant-director of marketing of dairy produce. Until oth°r appointments are made he will also be Acting-Director of Marketing. “Mr Duncan will continue to hold office as a member of the Executive Commission of Agriculture under the Minister. The Executive Commission will be responsible for the organisation of the new department and the planning of its work, and for assisting generally in the administration of the Government’s marketing policy until the Department of Marketing has been fully organised, and it has been authorised to take charge of the marketing of other commodities tnan dairy produce. The Government proposes to use the services of the commission in the work to which I have referred, and, in the discharge of its present functions, for all the Dominion’s primary industries. However, in its investigations it will have special regard to the future extension of the marketing operations of the department and the correlation of production and marketing.

Executive Commission’s Functions “When the department has been completely organised the functions of the commission will be assumed by the department. The commission, as such, will then no longer be required, and the position of its members will be reviewed in the light of conditions then existing. “The establishment of the new department will necessarily involve a revision of the functions of the New Zealand Dairy Board and consequent reorganisation of the staff of the board. The act provides that members of the Dairy Board’s staff may be appointed to positions in the department, and the Government recognises that it will be necessary to a. range to take over the London staff and members of the New Zealand staff of the board. These matters will be discussed with the board at an early date, and a further announcement will be made in due course.”