TO INCREASE PRODUCTION

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 September 1939, Page 5

TO INCREASE PRODUCTION

SPECIAL COUNCILS APPOINTED [PER press association.] WELLINGTON. September 19. The personnel of the Council ' of Primary Production which is to organise production and agricultural committees to meet the exigencies of war conditions was announced tonight by the Minister of Agriculture (Mr. Lee Martin), who is chairman of the Council. “After consultation with farmers and farm workers’ organisations, I invited representatives of these organisations to form a Council of Primary Production,” said Mr. Martin, “and I am pleased to say that every man whose services were called upon, instantly accepted appointment. This is but another illustration of the determination of all sections of the farming community to make every effort to see that our production is maintained and wherever possible extended.”

The personnel of the council is as follows: Mr. Lee Martin (Minister of Agriculture), chairman; Messrs. A. H. Cockayne (Controller of Primary Industries), deputy chairman; W. W. Mulholland (President of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union); R. Eddy (President of the New Zealand Workers’ Union); W. E. Hale (Chairman of the New Zealand Dairy Board); L. J. Wild (President of the Royal Agricultural Society); H. M. Christie (chairman of the Wool Council); L. McLean. farmer, Hastings. Mr. R. B. Tennent, Director Fields Division, Department of Agriculture, has been appointed Director of Primary Production to the Council. “It has been my endeavour to set up a working committee representative of ail major phases of primary production,” said Mr. Lee Martin, “and when the full organisation, which includes subsidiary national and district committees, is set up, I think we will be able to play a part worthy of our highest traditions. The whole of the machinery is being set in motion with the greatest possible speed, and we will soon be able to announce plans for a sustained and unprecedented effort.” Realising that the production of all commodities within New Zealand must not onty be maintained at its present level, but must be increased as far as possible during the duration of the war, the Minister of Labour (Mr. Webb), has taken certain emergency powers to appoint an Industrial Emergency Council to assist him in dealing with all labour questions that may arise because of the emergency measures rendered necessary to the Government by Avar. There is no doubt that many qustions will arise from time to time because of such emergency measure questions, involving the relationships between employers and workers, an’d requiring their fullest co-operation in all industries. The Council has been appointed in order that such questions may be dealt with as reasonably, and as promptly as possible, and with the fullest knowledge of all factors which should be given consideration. The members of the Council whom the Minister has selected are: Mr. T. O. Bishop, Captain S. Holm, Messrs. H. J. Knight, W. Marshall, A. C. Mitchell, A. W. Nisbet, A. P. O’Shea, A. Rowlands, A. McLagan. J. Roberts, F. P. Walsh, F. Cornwell. F. G. Young,. R. Eddy, R. Brooks, W. Clarke.