TOBACCO BOARD

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22399, 21 April 1936, Page 11

TOBACCO BOARD

CONTROL OF INDUSTRY APPOINTMENT announced MANUFACTURERS AND GROWERS WIDE POWERS UNDER ACT [Br TELEGRAPH SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON. Monday The appointment of a Tobacco Board of nine members, as provided for in the Tobacco Growing Industry Act of last session, was announced to-day by the Minister of Industries and Commerce, Hon. D. G. Sullivan. The personnel of the board is as follows: Government Representative.—Mr. L. J. Sehmitt, secretary of the Department of Industries and Commerce, chairman.

Tobacco Manufacturers' Representatives.—Mr. G. Husheer, managing director of the National Tobacco Company, Napier; Mr. R. B. Smith, representing W. D. and H. 0. Wills (N.Z.), Limited; Mr. K. Sneddon, managing director of Amalgamated Tobacco Manufacturers, Auckland; Mr. A. H. Spratt, representing the General Tobacco Company, Christehureh. Growers' Representatives.—Mr. J. F. Balck, Mr. GW. Relat, Mr. N. Rowling and Mr. H. A. Thorne. These representatives are all growers in the Nelson and Motueka districts.

"It will be remembered," said the Minister, "that the legislation was passed as the result of related requests by the/ industry for some legislative authority by which the industry could be controlled and growing, production, manufacture, sales and exports conducted on proper, business--like lines, instead of under the haphazard methods which have existed in many instances in the past. A Valuable Service "The board is composed of those actively engaged in- the industry, the representatives of the manufacturers being actually concerned in the manufacture of tobacco and the representatives of the growers having been selected from actual growers of New Zealand leaf. Mr Schmitt, the chairman: of the board, as head of the Department of Industries and Commerce, , will keep in close touch with me with regard to- the industry and the activities of the board and 1 feel certain that the board will be able to perform a valuable service to this most important industry." Provisions of the Act The Act, which was passed toward the close of last session, empowers the board to grant licences to grow tobacco, to issue warrants authorising the sale of raw tobacco grown in New Zealand and to promote sales of raw tobacco in New Zealand and elsewhere. Provision is made for the board to impose a levy on raw tobacco, not exceeding one halfpenny a pound, but the board, if it thinks tit, may make differential charges in respect of different classes of tobacco. All moneys received by the board are to be paid into a separate account at an approved /bank and are to be applied by the board in payment of expenses, commission, salaries and travelling allowances.