New Agriculture Director

Press, Volume C, Issue 29672, 16 November 1961, Page 16

New Agriculture Director

(New Zealand Ptm* Ateoddtton)

WELLINGTON, Nov. 15. The appointment of Mr D N. R. Webb a* tbe next Director-General ot Agriculture was announced today by the Public Service Commission. Mr Webb is at present Director-General of Lands. H* will take up his new appointment next April when the present DirectorGeneral ot Agriculture (Mr P W. Smallflald) retire*. Mr Webb 1* 53, and his wnol* career has been associated with the development and use ot land. He is the eon at a farmer, and his early years were spent on farms in the Waikato and Auckland. H* joined the Northland office of the Lands and Survey Department in 1936, and was transferred to the department’s head office in 1930.

When the department took over the administration of the Small Farm* Relief of Unemployment Act from til* Department of Agriculture in 1932, he was responsible for organising the settlement of unemployed on the land. In 1944 h* was secretary to the farm advisory committee of the Rehabilitation Board, which formulated tbe policy for rehabilitation of farmer servicemen on the land.

When the RehebUitattan Department was eetabtiahed later th* same yw. he was placed in oharge ot ita farming section. He wee responsible for organising the implementation of the deportmentis settlement policy and the grading and training ot former servicemen. In 19*5 he was appointed star "of T^to? rr 60 th * Mini * Early In 1947 he returnad to the Land# and Survey Department as chief clerk and

was subsequently appointed administration officer. la 1954 he became Commissioner of Crown Lande in Wellington, and in 195? he Was appointed assistant Di-rector-General of Lands. He took up his present position as Director-General in 1958. Mr Webb has been closely associated with the major land development projects undertaken by his department. In recent yean ho was responsible for the introduction of land development on the West Coast, the resumption of land development in Otago, and the development of tussock land in North Canterbury. Thia year he sponsored the introduction of toe Government's civilian land settlement scheme. Mr Webb is chairman of the Land Settlement Board, the Marginal Lands Board, and the National Parks Authority. Ke is also a member of the Soil Conservation Council