MILLIONS WORK

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 227, 24 September 1943, Page 3

MILLIONS WORK

BRITISH WAR EFFORT Mobilisation Of Men And Women Excels Any Country British Official Wireless Rec. 1 p.m. RUGBY, Sept. 23. The Minister of Labour, Mr. Bevin, opening the House of Commons debate on manpower, stressed the importance of anticipating heavy casualties when the second front comes into action. In the gigantic struggle* which would be facing us in 1944, he said, every provision must be made for them. Saying that mobilisation had reached a stage in Britain not excelled by any other country, Mr. Bevin added that to date Britain had registered all women from IS to 47, involving the registration of 10.000,000 rrien and 10,000,000 women. "I take it that it is the will of the House that 1 ought to stop at nothing until we have won, whatever the consequences may be," he added.

"Of 33.000.000 people between 17 and G4 at my disposal. 22.650,000 are in the Services, civil defence or paid employment. That includes 700,000 women doing part-time work. Of 16,000,000 males in the country between 14 and 65 over 15,000,000 are in service for their country or in paid employment. Women Play Their Part "Of 17.000,000 women between 14 and 64, 7.750.000 are in the Services or in paid employment. Over 1.000.000 are doing unpaid voluntary work and giving service to the country of a national character. Over 9 000 000 children under 14 have to be looked after. This I regard as national service.

"Of single women between IS and 40, 91 per cent are working. That leaves onlv 9 per cent for sickness or ailments. Over SO per cent of the married women of that age group without children are engaged in the war effort." Commenting on these achievements. Mr. Bevin declared: "We had to do it and we have done it, which, I think, is a triumph of British organisation and genius." He added that there were over 1000 000 men and women over 65 vears of age in full-time paid employment in the war effort. On Merseyside and Manchester the average age of the dockers was 51 and they were giving a remarkable turn-round of ships. , . "I saw the other day a man of 83 wheeling 3cwt bags of Cuban sugar," he added. Over 2,500,000 women had been recruited 'to the forces and industry from non-manual and non-industrial classes. Between January last year and June this year over 1,000,000 persons were added to the forces and'munitions industry. Priority for Aviation Britain was employing 2,250,000 people more on munitions than at the end of last year. Cabinet had decided to give priority to aircraft construction, and women up to 50 living in aircraft districts could be of great help if they went in at once. Women between 40 and 60 numbering 1.600,000 were already in employment and over 500,000 between 46 and 50. The Minister said he recognised that in calling up older women great care would have to be GXGfCiSGCI 'He added that he wanted 30,000 men for the mining industry as soon as possible and 20,000 next year, if vacancies still existed after use had been made of those who had opted or had volunteered. Mr Craik Henderson (Con.) said the United States up to now had not conscripted one woman, and he suggested that there could be cuts in the staffs of Government Departments before calling middle-aged W< Mrs.' Adamson (Lab.) said that; speaking generally, women in Britain were not opposed to direction of women from 45 to 50 into industry.