FULLY UTILISED

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 228, 25 September 1943, Page 5

FULLY UTILISED

BRITISH MANPOWER "Metal Is Cheaper Than Men," Mr. Bevin Says British Official Wireless Rec. 1.30 p.m. RUGBY, Sept. 24. Replying in the House of Commons to the manpower debate the Minister of Labour, Mr. Bevin, dealt first with unofficial strikes, one class of which, he said, was organised for political reasons, and it was this type the .Government was considering dealing with. The executives of unions, the Trades Union Congress, and the Employers' Federation had entered into what was virtually a collective agreement to submit problems to arbitration during the war. During the whole period that it had been in operation no executive had paid a penny supporting a strike. That was to the credit of our trade unions.

Referring to Home Guards, Mr. Bevin said the amount of time required to be given by Home Guards had been reduced and the Government was looking into that matter still further, but the country was not out of the wood yet. When certain events took place Home Guards must be available because, perhaps, almost the whole of the regular army might be out of the country.

Regarding civil defence personnel, although danger was now probably remote, they could not run undue risks. The Home Secretary had already given up large numbers in permanent civil defence services to industry. Referring to the need for further labour for the aircraft industry, he said he was not conscripting for aircraft in the sense that one would conscript for the Army. The direction of youths to the aircraft industry would be done with juvenile committees. In putting them into the aircraft industry he would have regard to their training and development.

Labour Wastage Allegations Dealing with allegations of wastage of labour in the aircraft industry, he claimed the manpower boai'ds had done a difficult job very efficiently and fairly, and on the whole maintained a balance in industry which had had extremely successful results for production. He promised to look again into the question of staffs in the Civil Service and bring it up in Cabinet. He believed members were satisfied the Government had taken the right and proper course of leaving no stone unturned to mobilise and utilise all the available manpower the country possessed. Those who voted against the complete mobilisation and full use of the manpower and resources of the country would have to ask themselves what the result would be. Every minute the war was carried on meant a greater sacrifice than the calling-up of women of 47 and 50 to work in factories. It meant a greater risk to the rising generation of the country —the most precious portion of the body politic. "We work on the principle that metal is cheaper than men, and if you can use your men and women in the factories to build mighty equipment for a most powerful force, and by the sheer weight of that force shorten this war by a minute or a month, then you are doing the most humane thing possible to end this holocaust for ever."