The Wanganui Chronicle. "Nulla Dies Sine Linea." TUESDAY, FEB. 6th, 1917. ORGANISING THE COUNTRY.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LX, Issue 16892, 6 February 1917, Page 4

The Wanganui Chronicle. "Nulla Dies Sine Linea." TUESDAY, FEB. 6th, 1917. ORGANISING THE COUNTRY.

The constitution of the Industrial Efficiency Board, the personnel of which has just been announced, is the outcome of the Cabinet's recent discussion of proposals for organisng the manpow.er of the Dominion and the protection of essential industries. Ministers, very properly, considered that the problem was one in the solution of which it was desirable that the Government should be guided by expert advice. Hence th© appointment of this new Board, consisting of four prominent business men. The powers and functions of the .Board have not y&t been exactly defined. In fact, the Board, like some similar bodies in the United Kingdom, can scarcely be said to have official existence, the members who are serving the State without payment have come together at the invitation of the Acting-Prime Minister, and they are placing at the disposal of the Government their wide business experience and their great knowledge of industrial affairs. The personnel has been well chosen. Mr. Frostick, of Cbristchurch, is a leading business man who has written a great deal on industrial problems. Mr .Ferguson, of Wellington, is well known throughout th© Dominion for his engineering and business capacity. Mr Hunt, of Inveroavgiu, has risen to a prominent position in the business world by sheer ability. Mr Gun-son, Mayor of Auckland, is a man of proved capacity as a business man and as an organiser of public services. He is also the chosen representative of the inhabitants of the largest city in the Dominion. The work of the Board, as defined by the Minister, will include the following matters:—

A. survey of the Dominion's industries, with a view to their classification as essential, partially essential: or non-essential.

An estimation of the amount of II labour required to maintain the essential industries, and consideration of the effective utilisation and distri- : bution of that, labonr. Tiie study of such problems as the preservation of th.c businesses of men who have to join the forces. The development of industries, the utilisation of waste nroducts, and the increase of production. As tne Auckland "-Star" has said, the need for a thorough inquiry into tho question of man-power and essential industries, and of organisation to cope with the demands of the army, is shown in the proceedings of any Military Appeal Board. Farmers frequently plead that they have to work their farms, but are told that they must find substitutes. They may be able to find substitutes now, but if the war goes on much longer the finding will become iar too large and important a matter for tl: 6 individual. There may be substitutes with whom the individual ermnot get into touch. There may be a surplus of farm labour in one part of the country, and a deficiency in another. There are no means of knowing how many retired farmers hay,© returned to farm work during the war, but probably this supply' of skilled men is still considerable, and it will be one of the tasks of the Board and the proposed district committees to utilise it to the full. And what applies to farm labour applies also to other depart ments of industrial activity, and to the staffing of the State Departments'. In the case of the latter it should surely be possible, if necessary, to replace a considerable number of young, eligible men, with men who nave been superannuated but who are still capable of rendering efficient service. Although in the meantime the Industrial Efficiency Board is a purely advisory body, it should be able to do much useful work of a preparatory nature, and its proceedings and recommendations will be watched with keen interest by the public.