Designers Wanted On Council

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31113, 16 July 1966, Page 19

Designers Wanted On Council

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, July 14. The Opposition tonight urged that professional industrial designers be appointed to the proposed industrial design council. During the second reading debate on the Industrial Design Bill, which would establish an industrial design council and institute, Mr W. W. Freer (Opp., Mt. Albert) said the opposition in general approved the measure. However, the Opposition would move amendments during the committee stages. Two of the six members of the council should be professional designers, Mr Freer said. He asked why a two-year term should be specified for council members, when members of the consumer council —which would be formed by another bill before Parliament—would serve for three years. “Surely a term of three years is reasonable in this case,” Mr Freer said. He also asked why only the council’s accounts and not its annual report would be tabled in Parliament. Mr Freer said the Labour Party had felt for many years such a bill should be introduced. He paid tribute to the former Secretary of Industries and Commerce (Dr. W. B. Sutch) for urging the need for good design.

Mr Freer said he believed the bill would help expansion of New Zealand’s overseas trade, and assist in making articles of a design equal to compete with any products from other countries. The bill would provide the council with independence of policy and action coupled with the backing of the Government in its formative years, said the Minister of

Industries and Commerce (Mr Marshall). The Under-Secretary of Industries and Commerce (Mr Adam-Schneider) said representatives of groups such as manufacturers, academic and professional organisations would be selected for the council. Mr R. J. Tizard (Opp., Pakuranga) said the wording of the act showed the lack of

appreciation by the Government of the skill involved in industrial design. He criticised the bill for providing no automatic right for anyone connected with industrial design to sit on the council. In all other professions, members automatically sat on the relevant council. “This bill gives the impression that design is something slapped on afterwards,” he said.