NEW PORTFOLIO

Hokitika Guardian, 26 May 1936, Page 5

NEW PORTFOLIO

MINISTRY OF MARKETING. APPOINTMENTS ANNOUNCED. iPer. Press ■ Association.— -Copyright.) WELLINGTON, May 25. The Prime Minister Rt. .Hon. M. J. Savage, announced to-day that His Excellency the Governor-General had offered the new Portfolio of Minister of Marketing to Hon. W. Nash. In accepting the new portfolio. Hon. W. Nash said that Mr G. A. Duncan, member of the Executive Commission of Agriculture, would ,be appointed as the Assistant-Director of Marketing, and Acting-Director of Marketing. “Thfe Primary Products Marketing Act makes provision for the appointment :of the Director' of Marketing, who will be the administrative head of the new Primary Products Marketing Department,” said Mr Nash. ‘ It also makes provision for .the appointment of one of more assistant-directors of marketing. At the present time, dairying is the only industry to products of which the Act applies, and, accordingly, the only • substantive administrative appointment immediately required is that of Assistant-Director of Marketing in charge of the marketing of dairy produce. Mr Duncan has been appointed an 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, he will also be Acting-Director of Marketing. Mri Duncan will continue to hold office asa member of the Executive Commission of Agriculture. The Commission will he- 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 lias been fully organised, and been authorised to take charge of the marketing of other commodities than dairy produce, 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 future extension of the marketing operations of the Department and the co-relation 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, will then be no longer required, and the position of its members will be reviewed in the light of the conditions then existing. “The establishment of the Primary Products Marketing Department will, necessarily, involve the revision of the functions of the New Zealand Dairy Board, and the consequent re-organisa-tiou if the itaff of the Board. Tho Act provides that the 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 with the Board at an early date, and a further announcement will be made in due course.”