POST-WAR PUNNING

Evening Star, Issue 25168, 6 May 1944, Page 5

POST-WAR PUNNING

NEW ORGANISATION CREATED EXPERTS AND RESEARCH WORKERS ATTACHED . (P.A.) ' WELLINGTON, May 5. " Although the Government's paramount responsibility is the winning of the war, it has nob been unmindful of the tremendous problems that must inevitably arise when hostilities cease," said the Acting Prime Minister, Hon. 0. G. Sullivan, in a statement to-night. " Already much has been done by various State departments under Cabinet direction to survey the potentialities of the future. "It has now been decided," Mr Sullivan said, "to rearrange the administrative machinery to ensure that ,the plans and other proposals relating to post-war problems emanating from all sources will bo studied by officers specially selected by reason of their knowledge and experience, and will eventually be welded into one composite national plan for the consideration of the Government. To achieve this purpose the Government has decided to establish an Organisation for National Development.

" The organisation will be under the direct control of the Prime Minister, and will be presided over by a Cabinet committee, consisting of the Minis'ters primarily concerned. A chief executive officer will be appointed, with whom will be asso ciated as an executive, committee a number of specially-qualified officers drawn from Government departments. There will also be attached to this central organisation a small staff of research officers. The new organisation will in no way lessen the responsibility of the departments to their Ministers or their responsibility in coping with all problems closely associated with their own administration.

" The new organisation is designed to examine projects dealing with'reconstruction, to mould or modify them as may > be necessary, and 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 considerably to widen their 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. The normal procedure will be for proposals to be formulated by these combined committees and passed on' to the 'central executive of the Organisation for National Development for examination and inclusion in the general plan. The proposals will then go to the committee of Ministers tor consideration prior to final decision by the Cabinet.

" This procedure, which follows very closely that in operation in Britain, is designed not only for planning the long-range development of the Dominion, but also for preparing practical measures to meet the period of transition at the end of the war. Not only will provision be made to assist the rapid .rehabilitation oT members of the armed forces, but also for the safeguarding of the livelihood of the probably greater army of civilians whose energies have been diverted to war purposes.' The first task must, obviously be the restoration of industry to a peaec-time basis at a time when there will be a'shortage of raw materials and a huge demand for goods.

" Mr J. S. Hunter, who has held the position of Director of National Service during the war," Mr Sullivan concluded, " has been selected as the chief administrative officer to inaugurate the new organisation, the development of which will be determined from time to time in the light of the experience gained. Mr Hunter will relinquish the position of Director of National Ser> vice and take up his new duties forthwith."

The Minister of National Service, Mr A. McLagan, announced to-night that in view of Mr Hunter's new appointment, Mr H. L. Bockett had been appointed to fill the positions of Director of National Service and Controller of Man Power, which have been amalgamated. Mr McLagan said that the appointment of Mr Hunter to the new organisation, together with the diminution of the work of the National Service Department, due to the tapering off of the ballots and the closing down of civil defence activities, afforded an excellent opportunity of carrying out desirable amalgamations and readjustments to secure the full coordination of the national service and manpower organisations.