MINISTER OF MARKETING

Wairarapa Age, 26 May 1936, Page 5

MINISTER OF MARKETING

PORTFOLIO ACCEPTED BY MR. NASH. ME. G. A. DUNCAN ASSISTANT DIRECTOR. OUTLINE OF POLICY PLANS. WELLINGTON, May 25, The Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, announced to-day that his Excellency the GovernorGeneral had offered the new portfolio of Minister of Marketing to the Hon. W. Nash and in accepting the portfolio Mr. Nash said that Mr. G. A. Duncan, a member of the Executive Commission of Agriculture, would be appointed as Assistant Director of Marketing and Act-ing-Director of Marketing. “The Primary Products Marketing Act makes provision for the appointment of a Director of Marketing, who will be administrative head of the new Primary Products Marketing Department/’ said Mr. Nash. “It also makes provision for the appointment of one or more Assistant-Directors of Marketing. At the present time dairying is the only industry to the produets of which the Act applies and accordingly the only substantive administrative appointment immediately required is that of Assistant-Director of Marketing of dairy produce. Mr. Dunean has been appointed an Assistant-Director of Marketing and his special function will be to take charge of marketing of dairy produce and until other appointments are made, he will also be ActingDirector of Marketing. Mr. Duncan will continue to hold office as a member of the Executive Commission of Agriculture. The commission will be responsible under the Minister for the organisation of the new Department and the planning of its work and for assisting generally in the administra-

tion of the Government's marketing policy until the Primary Products Marketing Department has been fully organised and has been authorised to take charge of the marketing of other commodities than dairy produce. The Government proposes to utilise the services of the Commission in the work to which I have referred and in the discharge of its present functions in respect of all our primary industries, but in its investigations it will, however, have special regard to the future extension of marketing operations of the Department and the co-relation of production and marketing. When the Department has been completely Organised the functions of the commission will ©e assumed by the Department. The commission as sueh will then be no longer required and the position of its members will be reviewed in the light of conditions then existing. The establishment of the Primary Products Marketing Department will necessarily involve a revision of the functions of the New Zealand Dairy Board and cons©quent reorganisation of the staff of the board. The Act provides that members of the Dairy Board's staff may be appointed to positions in the Department and the Government recognises that it will be necessary to arrange to «ke over the London staff and memrs of the New Zealand staff of the ard. These matters will be discussed with the board at an early date and a further announcement made in due -course.”—(P.A.)