PRODUCE CONTROL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 30, 5 February 1935, Page 11

PRODUCE CONTROL

EXECUTIVE COMMISSION REMUNERATION OF MEMBERS DUTIES TO BEGIN SHORTLY AVELLINGTON, Jan. 28. Although no official announcement has yet been made, it can be said that the salaries of the members of the Executive Commission of Agriculture will be comparatively substantial. The remuneration of Mr. Justice Frazer as deputy-chairman will be that statutory fixed for his position as judicial president of the Arbitration Court, £2OOO a year. There will, of course, be a difference between that amount and the salary of each of the two other members, Mr. David Jones, chairman of the Meat Producers’ Board, and Mr. G. A. Duncan, secretary of the Hawera Dairy Company, but the gap will not be so very wide, sinye all the paid members of the commission will be engaged on a full-time task. It appears to be certain that these two members will be paid £l5OO a year each. The statutory chairman of the commission, the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. C. E. Macmillan, will receive only the standard Ministerial honorarium, whiyh, allowing for economy cuts and recent restorative adjustment, is a very great deal less than £l5OO a year. Period of Office. Under the provisions of the Agriculture (Emergency Powers) Act the non-political members of the commission may hold office for a period of five years and may be removed from office only for inefficiency, disability, insolvency, neglect of duty or misconduct proved to the satisfaction of ‘he Governor-General. Any member, of course, may resign his office.

The main functions of the commission are these: —To co-ordinate the work of the several boards and other authorities exercising powers concerning any of the primary products of the Dominion and to make such recommendations to the Government ns the commission thinks proper with a view to the making of regulations in relation to the production, handling, marketing or export of primary products. The commission probable will begin its duties about the middle of next month, although these for a period necessarily will be of a pre liminary nature. Mr. Jones in England. Mr. Jones is in London taking part, with the High Commissioner, Sir James Parr, in conferences with representatives of the British Government on questions concerning meat quotas and other threatened restrictions on the export of New Zealand farm products to the United Kingdom. Mr. .Jones, who, incidently, is acquiring firsthand information as to British police and marketing prospects, which will bo of great value to the Executive Com mission of Agriculture, is expected to leave London for New Zealand at the end of this month or early iYi February. Arrangements for office accomodation in Wellington and secretarial service for the commission have, not been completed, but negotiations for suitable premises are going forward, and several suites of officer are under offer There is keen interest among departmental officers regarding the prospective appoint most of a secretary for <he commission. Several names are being mentioned, but so far nothing definite I has been done.