FARM INQUIRY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23375, 17 June 1939, Page 17

FARM INQUIRY

COMMISSION PRESIDENT SIR F. FRAZER NAMED OTHER PROBABLE MEMBERS EARLY ANNOUNCEMENT [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON*, Friday " The difficulties that the Government has met in securing a suitable chairman for the commission to inquire into the sheep-farming industry are reported here to have been resolved by tho selection of Sir Francis ¥ razor as president; An announcement is , expected shortly, as tho Government is anxious to have the commission begin its investigations. It is also reported that three other members of the commission will bo Messrs. R. C. Todhunter, of Rakaia, Canterbury. .Mr. U. M. Christie, of Winipawa. and Mr. R. A. Roger, of Wellington. The fourth member, who trill be a more or less direct representative of the workers on the commission, is stated to bo Mr. Arthur Cook, of Wellington, secretary of the General Labourers' Union. Wide Order of Reference ]t is understood that the order .of reference of the*:commission will be ex- : tremely wide and will cover every phnse of the sheep industry. The first suggestions were that, the commission should deal mainly with tho problems of runholders on the high country of Keiv Zealand, most of which lies in the South Island, but the Government hi is acceded to a request that has been general and has decided to allow the whole of the industry to be investigated.

The Government has had the members of the commission in mind for gome. time, but has had difficulty in obtaining the'services of a Supreme Couit Judge to preside. Mr. Justice Johnston was freely, mentioned as a likely president because of his knowledge of the farming industry gained irhfle administering the mortgage legislation, but it was found that he nas unable to set aside his ordinary judicial duties for .the obviously long time-tliat it will take to complete tho present inquiry. . .1 All Aspects of Industry

The Government has recognised that, .the complaints of the sheep farmers, which have been .plainly voiced in many parts of New Zealand recently, justify a wide inquiry which will clear the! air, as did the searching investigation of dairy-farming costs made in connection with the guaranteed . prices) scheme. It is not known yet whether' the commission will be a Royal Commission or an inquiry. Farming interests have expressed themselves as anxious for an inquiry without any preference for a commission with the status of a Royal Commission. The inquiry .will include such subjects as erosion and the deterioration of liiad. the production of meat and wool and the marketing of the prodnctji.of sheep-farming. P Intimate Knowledge Those who are reported to have hrenjfselected for the commission all have; an intimate knowledge of the industiv. Mr. Todhunter is a prominent pastd'ralist in Canterbury, with par- • tiruljjr experience of problems of the high! country aml of la mb production. •He is a leader of farming opinion in tho Siouth Island. Mrs .Christie, who has a wide knowledge* of famine/ was a member of Parliament for Waipatra from 1930 to 1938ji and represented New Zealand wool!producers when, he went overseas lastlyear to assist the International Wool Secretariat. Mr. Roger is well known as a farmer and for Ins connection i]mth land valuation for the Government.