File:Protection of Business - WW1 - National Efficiency Board (42479411580).jpg

On August 27 1918 the National Efficiency Board was given power to ban businesses from competing with a business run by a war veteran. Businesses could form a Soldier’s Board of Trustees to help protect a business if a soldier was still serving or unable to resume control of a business upon their return.

The correspondence shown here is from a National Efficiency Board file relating to the protection of businesses in WW1. There was a dispute between G.F Sievers and Eastbourne Council in September 1918 as they planned to run a bus service in competition to Mr. Siever’s bus run. As he had not established a Board of Trustees in his absence , as per the instructions of August 27 1918, the council had the right to set up their own. The file also includes a petition from Eastbourne residents in support of Mr Siever’s bus service.

The National Efficiency Board was constituted on 27 February 1917, and formally established by an Order-in-Council on 5 March 1917. It came into existence due to a perceived need for the re-organisation and development of industries in New Zealand during the First World War. At this time the workforce had been greatly depleted by the war, and so there was a real need to investigate methods for increasing productivity, and to use existing capital to the best advantage in essential industries. It was thought that these tasks would best be accomplished with the assistance of the most capable businessmen in the country and so the creation of a national board to advise on these issues was proposed. Its purpose would be to inquire into provisions to enforce economy and increase efficiency, and to determine if further legislation would be required to accomplish these aims. In October 1917, several months after the board was initially established, a second Order-in-Council was passed, which reconstituted the board under the Prime Minister, William Ferguson Massey, and the Minister of Finance, Sir Joseph George Ward.

Archives New Zealand Reference: ADRE 17315 NEB1 22 1217