AFTER THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 187, 6 May 1944, Page 6

AFTER THE WAR

Reconstruction Plans And Problems TRANSITION PERIOD

National Development Organization

The establishment of an organization to plan post-war reconstruction was announced last night by the Acting Prime .Minister, Mr. Sullivan. Its chief administrative officer will be Mr. J. S. Hunter, who will relinquish his present post of Director of National Service and take up his new duties forthwith. “It will be obvious to all.” said Mr. Sullivan, “that the Government’s paramount. responsibility in the crisis we have been passing through is the winning of the war, and though that responsibility has been discharged to the utmost of our resources, the Government has not by any means been unmindful of the tremendous problems that must inevitably arise when hostilities cease. Already much has been done by various departments of State, under Cabinet direction, to survey the potentialities of the future. The rearrangement of administrative machinery now decided on will ensure that the plans and other proposals relating to post-war problems emanating from all sources will be studied by officers specially selected by reason or their knowledge and experience, and will eventually be welded into one composite national plan for consideration of the Government. To achieve this purpose, the Government has decided to establish an Organization for National Development to examine and co-ordinate all proposals relating to postwar problems.

“The organization will be _ under the direct control of the Prime Minister, and will be presided over by a special Cabinet committee consisting of the Ministers primarily concerned. A chief executive officer will be appointed, with whom will be associated as an executive committee a number of specially-qualified officers drawn from Government departments and possessing a wide knowledge and experience. There will also be attached to this central organization a small staff of research officers with the necessary qualifications for the study of the particular problems which must inevitably arise. Examination of Projects. “The Organization for National Development will in no way derogate from the responsibility of departments to their Ministers, or from their responsibility in coping with all problems closely associated with their own administrations. The new organization is designed to examine projects dealing with reconstruction, to mould or, modify .them as may be necessary to fit them into a practical plan, as well as to give guidance and. assistance to the various departments engaged in the work. The departments in turn, however, will be required to widen considerably the study of post-war problems and consequently steps will be taken to associate in combined committees the departmental officials together with other selected personnel who by reason of their training and experience can render valuable service in the .solution of their problems. “The normal procedure will be for proposals to be formulated by these combined committees, which will act under the control of Ministers of the Crown, and passed on to the central executive of the Organization for National Development for examination and co-ordination into an integral part of a general plan. The proposals will then go to the committee of Ministers for consideration prior to final decision by Cabinet. British Procedure Followed. “The above procedure, which follows very closely that in operation in Great Britain, is designed not only to study and plan for the long-range development of tho Doniiiiiom but also to make' special preparations for practical measures to meet the period of transition which will occur about the time of the cessation of hostilities..

“Not only will provision be made to assist' in the rapid rehabilitation of members of the armed forces, but also for the safeguarding of tlie livelihood of probably a greater army of, civilians whose energies have been diverted to war purposes. The first task must obviously be the restoration of industry to a peacetime basis at a time when there will lie a shortage of raw materials, and a huge demand for goods. “Mr. Hunter, who has held the position of Director of National Service during the war,- has been selected as the chief administrative officer to inaugurate the new organization, the development of which will bo determined from time to time in the light of the experience gained.”