AN ARMY OF CONSTRUCTION

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 133, 8 June 1942, Page 4

AN ARMY OF CONSTRUCTION

T organisation of committees in the main centres to handle all labour problems, announced by Mr. James Fletcher, Commissioner of Build™,P°?lI UC V. 0n ; v 3 ,°£ ical outcomc of the existing prcferencos in the permits for building construction. These preferences have already SI, ? 3 - la « r £ e P r °P° rtlon of men in the building trades being transar h to de / Gnce wo r k ' but in view cf the rapidly mounting Muihil . e of army and air force needs the closest .T C i m r maintained with all sources of labour supply, i . c ' v,llan constructional work at present in prcgress is of f»rfnriiT^n r ° n d ® fence : for instance, the extension of Thliiii,,» r ' ndustrles and the construction of air raid shelters. mh committees, however . will be empowered, as they are in Britain to ® ss ® ss ever y J° b in terms of national importance and nfhJr f. v? e m ur B ent ' even drawing from reservoirs in a2rt fhf k.iiji occasio P arises. The inclusion of a manpower officer rh?lr?«f .ng controller s representative are essential, and the ♦i~ Federation of Labour for the selection of the appointees representing the men is justified from the fact that many different trades tht ",l w , <lroft -, <" the™ men SwSI ~'be breadth of their outlook and their ability to enforce their dec sions the success of the plan will depend. Recent experiences wh7»n hepn°hannv h3Ve b< i en c w" ec ? Upon fcr s P ec,al efforts have not always ♦hf bk ♦"7 examples, the slow rate of turning overseas ships around j ei w m of freezin » workers on race days, and the fact that onlv TJfrti! 1 f of the miners at the Renown colliery and less than that at Glen A/ton turned up for work last Saturday, though the union officials hid agreed that Saturday work was necessary in the national interest If however, the Defence Construction Commissioner is able to secure a fullv •co-operative response from both employer and worker for his all-inclusive plan the day will be hastened when the defence work will be cimSl ed and contractor and tradesman alike will.be able to return to their normal 2, C .V. V «L e5, Where A h l? ar ® to " da y so sorely needed to overcome the Ss brou ' ht about by the almost com p' ete