USING MANPOWER

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 165, 15 July 1941, Page 4

USING MANPOWER

DOMINION'S NEED

TRAINING THE UNSKILLED

"I believe that this school will soon j he one of many throughout the' Dominion." said the Hon. V. C. \\ ebb. | Minister of Labour, at the oflicial ! opening yesterday afternoon the Government's first, trai'iin;: M-hool ;

for boot operatives. Mr. Webb .idded that the national scheme, would not . only help in the training of unskilled men in useful occupations, hut would also be of value in training soldiers who returned after the war without any skilled qualifications.

The need fur the boot operatives' school had come about partly as a result of the war and partly be< ause of import, restrictions. "We felt that hoots for this country shmiid he pro duced here,"' said tin: Minister. "We. have Rot tlie leather and skilled 1 labour, hut the pressure of the war on the industry has made it imperative that "\ve should expand. \ni only ; are we no longer dependent on over-1 seas, hut we have even ln-en asked ' to supply hoots for overseas. ' About • r «00.000 pairs of boots had been e\- ' ported since the war started, addeil Mr. Webb.

The war had made it lx-ce-.-jirv In use manpower to the best. advantage, said the Minister in ninclusion. The i (Invernnient wanted in sco «-v«-ry ] man anrl woman working in ilv lines I \vliei - c their olTori was !io<-(ied. ' The training of oporativrs would not be a liability on the bo:>t industry.: but union conditions would prevail 1 and nothiiiß would be allowed to i interfere with tlio.=r conditions. How-j ever, more and more boots Merc' needed.

The Mayor, Mr .1. A. ('. Allwni. also I referred to the tragedy <<{ -in- un-! skilled man and stressor! th- , neees- J sity of Riving returned soldiers an i opportunity to be trained !■> take their place in industry.