ECONOMIC ADVISER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21968, 27 November 1934, Page 10

ECONOMIC ADVISER

GOVERNMENT'S INTENTION DR. H. BELSHAW'S NEW POST LEAVE FROM THE UNIVERSITY The appointment of Dr. H. Belshaw, professor of economies at Auckland University College, as economic adviser to the Government for 12 months, beginning from early in the new year, is pending. Suitable arrangements have already been made by the council of the University College for the conduct of the work of the School of Economics, both next year, while Professor Belshaw will bo in JVellingtou, and in 1936, when he will be on the sabbatical year's leave, which would ordinarily have been taken next year. When interviewed yesterday Professor Belshaw said he was not in a position to make any statement yet. The announcement would bo made from Wellington. It is understood Professor Belshaw will be attached to tho staff of the Minister of Finance, tho Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates. Already on the Minister's staff, in tho capacity of private secretaries, are two economists, Dr. R. M. Campbell and Dr. W. B. Sutch. It is likely that Dr. Campbell will be out of New Zealand for a considerable period next year. No official intimation of that possibility has yet been given, but it is considered almost certain that the Government will deem it advisable to be represented in England by an expert versed in the problems associated with the quantitative restriction proposals. Dr. Campbell has been prominently identified with work of that character in New Zealand since his return from the Ottawa Conference in 1932. Problem of Farmers' Finance

In recent- years the services of Professor Belshaw have been utilised by the Government on numerous occasions in connection with problems arising out of the economic depression. Ho was a member of the 1928 industrial conference; he was a member of the 1932 economic committee, of which Dr. J. Kighfc was chairman; and he was a member of the recent Companies Promotion Commission. He also served on the expert secretariat set up at the time of the inter-party discussions in 1931, immediately prior to the formation of the Coalition Government. The professor was New Zealand delegate to the conference of the Institute of Pacific Relations at Kyoto in 1929. While the exact nature of the work to be undertaken by Professor Belshaw has not been disclosed, it is thought it will relate chiefly" to farmers' finance, a question to which he has devoted special study. He had intended to spend his sabbatical year's leave in the United States, doing research into problems connected with the capitalisation of agriculture in continuation of the research into the same subject, which he conducted at Cambridge University from 1924 to 1927.

University College Belief Professor Belshaw is the author of a book on the provision of credit, with special reference to agriculture, published in 1930. He has recently been directing a land utilisation survey in New Zealand under the auspices of the Institute of Pacific Relations. Between 20 and 30 specialists have been collaborating in the work, the results of which wdl be published next year. Professor Belshaw proposes to hand over the direction of this work to Mr. D. 0. Williams, lecturer in economics at the Massey Agricultural College, who will supervise the final editing of the work. The registrar of Auckland University College, Mr. M. R. O'Shea, said yesterday that the School of Economics will be in the charge of Mr. H. R. Rodwell, lecturer in economics, for the next two. years. Mr. Rodwell will return to New Zealand early next year after spending a year on exchange at Leeds University. Mr. O'Shea said it was also proposed to appoint another full-time lecturer at a salary of £350 for 1935 and 1936, during which period Professor Belshaw will be absent from the college. In addition, there will be three part-time lecturers.