COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

Otago Witness, Issue 3414, 20 August 1919, Page 49

COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

PROPOSED CREATION OF NEW MINISTRY. CHKISTOHUIiOH, August 13. Sub-committees of the Canterbury Chamber of Commorce ar.d of the Industrial Association recently met for tno consideration of the proposal that a Minister of Industries and Commerce should be appointed. That conference resolved that tile tune iiad come when the industrial and commercial interests of the' dominion must be placed under the control of a separate Minister. It was further resolved to lecommend : '* That the Minister in charge of this department shall not hold any other portfolio, but shall devote his whole time to the interests of his department in developing: industry and commerce within the dominion and export, when opportunity for such developments occurs; that the Minister shall have under his sole charge a competent and duly qualified staff of officers for the proper conduct of his department with power to accept the services of such private persons as in the opinion of the Minister could render service to the Crown in promoting the industrial and commercial development of our national life." A sub-committee of the Canterbury Industrial Association has submitted a scheme (for submission to the Government) for the creation of a board of science and industry, and the creation of a new portfolio—a Ministry of Science and Industry—the Minister to be chairman of the board, which should also comprise a salaried director at not less than £ISOO per annum. The committee advocated that a sum of not less than £IOO,OOO should bo voted by Parliament to cover the expenditure for five years, and that four local advisory committees —at; Auckland, Wellington, Chri&tchurch, and Dunedin —should be appointed.