The Bureau of Industry

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21990, 14 January 1937, Page 8

The Bureau of Industry

The personnel of the Bureau of Industry, announced in a message from Wellington this morning, is impressive until it is considered in relationship to the bureau’s task, which is to plan and regulate the secondary industries of New Zealand in accordance with the provisions of the Industrial Efficiency Act. On the face of it, 10 public servants, two farmers’ representatives, and only two manufacturers’ representatives, are a curious assortment. Since the bureau is to deal with, manufacturing, manufacturers are surely entitled to a "heavier representation than farmers and to more than ; two representatives in a membership of 14. A secbnd criticism must be that not many of the official members; will be able to play any active part : iii the work of the bureau. Six of them are heads of departments and of these only Mr L: J. Schmitt, who is head of the Department of Industries and Commerce, is likely to be able to devote much time to the problems of secondary industry. From one point of view, this may turn out to be an advantage, since a committee of 14 members is much too large to function efficiently. If, in practice, the, activities of the bureau ape controlled by a small sub-committee of full-time members,, nothing will be lost and much gained. In this connexion the bureau could not do better than study carefully the methods and constitution of the Executive Commission of Agriculture, which in the last two years has done magnificent work-in rationalising the processing side of the dairy industry. In the long run, of course, the success of the Industrial Efficiency Act will depend as much on the official organisation behind the bureau as on the bureau itself. And there is here a further cause for misgiving. Since Mr Schmitt is chairman of the bureau, it can be assumed that it will work through the Department of Industries and Commerce: ■ This is a less satisfactory arrangement than might be supposed since, despite ' its name, the Department of' Industries and Commerce is mainly concerned with the tourist traffic. The department which, in the last few

years, has had most to do with secondary industry is the Customs Department. The case for a departmental reorganisation is clear; and the first step should be to create a separate Department of Tourist and Health Resorts. •