NEW PORTFOLIO

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 204, 26 May 1936, Page 8

NEW PORTFOLIO

Minister of Marketing Appointed HON. WALTER NASH Mr. G. A. Duncan as Acting-Director ' FUTURE OF EXECUTIVE COMMISSION The appointment of the Hon. W. Nash to be Minister of Marketing was announced yesterday by the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage. Coincidentally with the announcement of the Ministerial appointment by the Prime Minister, Mr. Nash himself announced that Mr. G. A. Duncan, a member of the Executive Commission of Agriculture, would be AssistantDirector of Marketing in connection with dairy produce and also actingDirector of the new Department of Marketing. Mr. Nash also indicated that the services of the other members of the Executive Commission of Agriculture would be retained for the organ-

isation of the new department and the planning of ils activities, while work would be found for members of the staff 'of the New Zealand Dairy Board. "The Primary Products Marketing Act makes provision for the appointment of a Director of Marketing, who will be the administrative bead of the new Primary Products Marketing Department,” said Mr. Nash. “It also makes provision for the appointment of one or more assistant-directors of marketing. At the present time, dairying is the only Industry to the products of which the Act applies, and accordingly the only substantive administrative appointment that is immediately required is that of an assistant-director of marketing, in charge of the marketing of dairy produce. Mr. Duncan’s Position. v ”.Mr. G. A. Dunean lias been appointed as Assistant-Director of Marketing, and his special function will be to take charge of the marketing of dairy produce; and, until other appointments are made, lie will also be the Acting-Director of Marketing. “Mr. Duncan will continue to hold office as a member of the Executive Commission of Agriculture. The commission will be responsible, under the Minister, 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 Primary

products Marketing Department has lx cn fully organised, and has ' been authorised to take charge of the marketing of other commodities Ilian dairy pibduce, the Government proposes to utilise the services of the commission in the work to which I have referred, and In the discharge of its present functions in respect of all our primary industries; but in its investigations it will, however, have special regard to the futurd extension of the marketing operations of the department and the correlation of production and marketing. When the department has been completely organised, the functions of the commission will be assumed by the department. The commission, as such, ■vill then be no longer required, and the position of its members will be reviewed in the light of the condiitons then existing. The London Stall. “The establishment of the Primary Products Marketing Department will necessarily involve a revision of the functions of the New Zealand Dairy Board, and a consequent reorganisation of the stall 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 arrange to take over the London staff and members of the New Zealand staff of the board. These matters will be discussed witli the board at an early date, and a further announcement tiiade in due course.”

MR. DUNCAN’S CAREER

Mr. G. A. Dunean, A.R.A.N.Z., who has been a member of the Executive Com mission of Acrioulture -once its incep tion just over a year ago was a inotnbo' of the Dairy Industry Comtniwiton whi'-li made a comprehensive investigation Jf the industry in 1934 with a view to its reluibilitaliou. Prior to his appointment to tile Commission of Agriculture Mr Duncan was secretary of the Hawer.i Co-operative Dairy Company—a position he had held since 1920. By a specialised

study of the dairy industry he has made himself one of the foremost authorities in New Zealand on its commercial, administrative and policy aflairs, and ttequently bis services have beet) of for committees appointed by the industry and by the authorities to investigate and report on dairying problems. Mr. Dunean was chairman of the com mittee appointed by the present Government lo report on guaranteed b r ! eri 2 * ® was the winner of the gold medal ollued in 1930 by the New Zealand society oj Accountants for a thesis by a membei oi the society on “The Account.-. L'inance. Costing ami Statistics of Dairy I'actorv Companies.” Some years ago he mad available to the industry toe table of values of butter and cheese based on l-on don prices. This table, which he com piled with the assistance ol the aceouti taut of the New Zealand Gairy f roduc Board. Mr. G. M. Pottinger. A.k.A.N-A is accepted as the standard of f.o.b. and factory pay-out equivalents, and is now in use all over New Zealand.