8.—14.

ADMINISTRATION. 8. Meetings of Board and Local Committee. —Twelve meetings of the Board were held during the year, when matters of policy were considered and the operations of the Board and its Local Committee were reviewed. The Local Committee, consisting of three members of the Board resident in Wellington, was set up to deal promptly with matters arising for attention between the monthly meetings of the Board. The Local Committee met on twenty-four occasions during the year. In order to reduce to a minimum the expense entailed in holding meetings, the members of the Committee have dealt with matters calling for urgent decision without requiring formal meetings to be summoned. The Board expresses its appreciation of the services so rendered by the Committee. 9. District Boards. —The following changes in the personnel of the district boards are recorded :— Auckland : Mr. Owen Neil Campbell, Commissioner of Crown Lands for the North Auckland Land District, resigned his seat on the board on his appointment as Commissioner of Small Farms. He was a member of the Auckland District Board from the inception of the system, and up to the time of his resignation rendered valuable service. He has been succeeded by Mr. William David Armit, formerly Commissioner of Crown Lands for the Taranaki Land District and a member of the Taranaki District Rural Intermediate Credit Board. Taranaki: The vacancy occasioned on the Taranaki District Board through the transfer of Mr. Armit to Auckland has been filled by the appointment of Mr. Felix Herbert Waters, now Commissioner of Crown Lands for Taranaki. The number of meetings of the various district boards varied according to the volume of business requiring to be transacted. In all thirty-two meetings were held during the year. As the delegation of powers from the central Board is extended, the necessity arises of holding meetings of the district boards at more frequent intervals. As in previous years, a large amount of work has been performed by the members outside the regular meetings of the boards and without remuneration. The Board feels that it should again refer in appreciative terms to the capable service rendered, most of it being on a gratuitous basis. 10. District Intermediate Credit Supervisors. —The following appointments were rendered necessary by staff changes in the Public Trust Office, which administers the system on behalf of the Board : — Mr. A. R. Coad, formerly Chief Inspector, as District Intermediate Credit Supervisor, Wellington, in succession to Mr. G. Miller, appointed Deputy Superintendent of the State Advances Office. Mr. C. Freyberg, formerly District Intermediate Credit Supervisor, Hawera, as District Intermediate Credit Supervisor, Palmerston North, in succession to Mr. K. A. Henderson, resigned. Mr. W. M. Egglestone, formerly an Inspector, as District Intermediate Credit Supervisor, Hawera, in succession to Mr. C. Freyberg. Mr. K. J. Caverhill, formerly District Accountant, Wellington, as District Intermediate Credit Supervisor, Masterton, in succession to Mr. S. J. Smith, deceased. Mr. A. Bell, formerly District Intermediate Credit Supervisor, Greymouth, as District Intermediate Credit Supervisor, Nelson, in succession to Mr. J. Fitzgerald, resigned. Mr. D. Scannell, formerly Deputy District Intermediate Credit Supervisor, Hamilton, as District Intermediate Credit Supervisor, Greymouth, in succession to Mr. A. Bell. Mr. S. J. Smith, who had acted as District Intermediate Credit Supervisor at Masterton since the inception of the system, died on the 21st November, 1932. The Board expresses its appreciation of his services and its sympathy with his relatives in their loss.

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