National Efficiency

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 144, 14 March 1932, Page 11

National Efficiency

Sir, —Doubtless yourself and your many readers have vivid recollections of the Refom Government after the Armistice was signed, setting up a National Efficiency Board to make exhaustive inquiries into the financial and economic conditions of the Dominion. It fell to the lot of Messrs. E. P. Burbury and Frostick, of Christchurch, to be chosen by the Massey Government as chief sponsers to traverse the country to take evidence and make fullest inquiries from all sections of people in all walks of life and to finally report to the Government a line of action to extricate the Dominion from the slough of financial and economic despond. Both those gentlemen with true British patriotism magnamously rose to the occasion and gratuitiously gave their brilliant services to the State. Being as the writer was in close touch with Mr. Burbury during the board’s activities we both had many a discussion on the many tangled subjects from a financial and economic standpoint. Both these stalwart gentlemen have since crossed the harbour bar, but I have always thought that when they were with us their efforts were treated with scant courtesy by the Government in the reply which was sent to them, the purport of which was that the Government had duly received the National Efficiency Board’s deliberations, but they could not be entertained, because it was interfering with their policy. Now, Sir, I submit that if at this juncture the board’s efforts were dug out from the archives of Government Buildings, very valuable assistance by way of direction might be found for the economy and other boards’ consideration. The public at that time, and since, have not been made cognisant of the board’s good work, owing to the then Government’s complacency in not having the searchlight of inspection thrown on their scientific deliberations, and I venture to hazard the opinion that if such were made public it would at this stage add very materially toward unravelling the many intricate State problems of to-day when the country’s finance and economic condition finds us all at the crossroads and the Government are on the horns of a dilemma. . j~ I am, etc., , PAINTER MAN.