TIMBER INDUSTRY

Southland Times, Issue 20613, 11 October 1928, Page 7

TIMBER INDUSTRY

BILL TO PROMOTE EFFICIENCY. BOARD TO BE ESTABLISHED. (Special to the Times.) Wellington, October 10. In the closing hours of the session a Bill entitled the Timber Industrial Efficiency Bill was introduced in the House of Representatives. The Hon. A. D. McLeod, who fathered the Bill, said that it was introduced at the instance of those interested in the timber industry. The Government was not responsible for the Bill, which had been drafted by the legal advices of those interested in preventing efficiency in the production and marketing of timber. The preamble of the Bill stated that as the result of conferences which have lately been held of representatives of the Government and of accredited representatives of persons whose business is the milling of timber and it has been resolved that the public economic welfare will be promoted by the establishment of a timber industrial efficiency board with power to investigate all matters relating to the milling and marketing of timber and to direct what steps should be taken to secure greater efficiency in the industry, so that the timber required to meet the national demand may be supplied in as suitable a quality and with as little waste as possible. The Act is not to be operative until it is brought into force by proclamation, and a poil is to be taken to bring it into operation. An efficiency board is to be established on which the Government will have two representatives, the workers one and the millers four. The board may appoint inspectors and experts. Without limiting any authority specifically conferred on the board, the board shall have full authority to make such arrangements and give such direction as it may think proper for the following matters: For the establishment of a uniform system of costing accounts, for the collection and distribution of information relating to economic industrial methods and practices, for investigating by experiment or otherwise any process calculated to eliminate waste, either alone or in conjunction with the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research or any other body, for the establishment of uniform classification and grading rules for timber intended for export, for the display of any timber at exhibitions or elsewhere and for advertising and promoting the sale of timber, for bringing about such arrangements as may enable those engaged in the industry to secure the capital they may require, for encouraging such arrangements with those engaged in other branches of the timber industry as will secure efficiency in all branches generally, for all such matters as are necessary for or incidental to the due discharge of its functions in ensuring greater efficiency in the timber industry.