NATIONAL EFFICIENCY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16560, 8 June 1917, Page 6

NATIONAL EFFICIENCY.

QUESTION OF LUXURIES.

FARMS AND TRUSTEE BOARDS.

The fact that the National Efficiency

Board has prepared a list of articles which in its opinion are luxuries and could be dispensed with' was announced in a telegram from Christchurch, published yesterday, on the authority of the Canterbury representative on the board, Mr. J. A. Frostick. Further information was sought from the Auckland representative, Mr. J. H. Gunson. He confirmed the statement, but said it was not appropriate that announcements as to the board's recommendations should come, from individual members. They should come from the Government. " The Efficiency Board has been constituted by the Government," said Mr. Gunson,." to inquire and report, and very many important issues have been considered and reported upon, regarding vhich I hope the public will be informed at an early date. It is quite true, as the Canterbury representative reports, that certain articles deemed to be luxuries liave been so reported upon by the board, and that certain carefully-prepared' recommendations in connection with the matter have been made to the Government." » So far as the work of the board was concerned, Mr. Gunson stated that he could only say, generally, that the members had spared neither time nor pains to thoroughly investigate the many important questions which even at this initial stage of their work, had claimed their attention. The position wa exceedingly difficult. The board had laid it down an a cardinal point that there must be no interference with workers in even the non-essential industries, such as throwing individuals out of employment prematurely, or before their sorvices were required in the more essential occupations. The time for this requirement must obviously arrive, in the event of the war continuing for a year or two. With that end in view the board was laying the foundation of its future work. Dealing with the Farmers Trustee I Boards, Mr. Gunson said that throughout i the province they were rendering valuable I service. A number of trusts on behalf of I soldiers had already been accepted, a - power of attorney in each case, in terms of | the Efficiency Board's draft form, having been executed. 'But the number of trusts thus taken did not in any way indicate the extent of the work done by the Trustee Boards. Assistance in the matter of making provision for the management of soldiers' properties, and in many other directions, had claimed a large amount of the time of the respective Trustee Boards, all the members of which were giving their services voluntarily. Mr. Arthur Gillies, honorary organiser to the Efficiency Board in Auckland, and of the soldier-farmers' interests generally, was at present visiting the Waikato in connection with several important interests claiming attention there. Questioned regarding the Efficiency Board's proposals as regards the purchase i of certain farms, Mr. Gunson said they had not been agreed to by the Government. These proposals, he added, did not involve the general purchase of farmß, but only of eligible properties which the board might consider it would be to the advantage of the State to buy, or the acquisition of which would expedite the settlement on the land of returned soldiers.