State Economic Committee, 1930-1939

Component identifier:

Series 31

Content Summary:

Late in 1938 Copland agreed to the request of the Victorian Premier Albert Dunstan to chair a State Economic Committee (S.E.C). Composed of A.T. Smithers, R.V.S. McPherson, and Copland, the Committee had a threefold brief of reporting to the Government on economic conditions in Australia and in Victoria and on the relationship between public finance and employment. Dunstan referred to them other specific matters and in 1939 had the Committee undertake a major enquiry into the railways. Series 47 covers Copland's work as chairman of the S.E.C. and is divided into Subseries 1, General papers and Subseries 2, the Railways inquiry.

Subseries 1 is a mixture of correspondence, drafts, printed material, statistical tables, and cuttings. There is also a small number of minutes of the Committee's meetings. The correspondence is mostly from Dunstan, E.W. Coates of the Treasury, and other departmental officers. The subseries covers reports, public works and employment, defence and employment and financial policy, and the effect of maintaining financial emergency (mortgage) legislation in force at the time.

Subseries 2 documents the Committee's enquiry into the 'finances of the railways in their relation to the State Budget including an examination of the general financial administration and general policies affecting the revenue and expenditure of the railways'. There are drafts and copies of the report and correspondence with A.A. Fitzgerald and T. Forristal who were coopted to help the inquiry. Some minutes of their meetings are also included as well as background material on the railways (reports, memoranda and statistical reports) dating from 1930.

Immediate source of acquisition:

Lady Copland presented the personal papers of Sir Douglas Copland to the National Library in September 1973. Additions to the collection were received from the Copland Family between 1977 and 1981.

Names:

Copland, D.B. (Douglas Berry), 1894-1971

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