THE SPIRIT OF SERVICE

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXV, Issue 14297, 21 February 1947, Page 4

THE SPIRIT OF SERVICE

EXAMPLE SET BY YOUNG BUILDERS GETTING JOB THROUGH ON TIME Labour leaders all over the world tot-day are emphasising the need for greater output per man per hour. To illustrate the points that have been made portion of an article contributed to the “Dannevirke Evening News” recently, is worth quoting. Discussing the subject of building of houses'; this observer stated:

“The job was in Dannevirke. What impressed me about it, favourably, was the fact that none of the team of builders, except the man in charge, was more than 23 years of age. What impressed me favourably, was that they were all hard at work —on Saturday afternoon, and had been so all the morning. And, I continued to be favourably impressed when I learned that they started early and- finished late —they wanted to get the job through to time.

“I was also impressed, unfavourably—and I will be candid on that point. That was when I discovered that this team of young New Zealanders did not come from our own town, or even Southern Hawke’s Bay, but had to be imported from another province to do our building work. And even the timber, for the job came from another controlled area than our own. It seemed to me that there was something wrong when such a fuss was being made here —recently at all events —about the difficulty of getting timber and also about the shortage of skilled men. “ ‘We would do anything for ,’ meaning the Boss, remarked a bright-eyed, keen young fellow and that, he said, was the secret bf the success of the job—the spirit, the will to work, the desire to give service and get the job done. “That spirit was, to me, elevating, because it demonstrated beyond dispute that Young New Zealand is willing to work provided it gets the opportunity, the encouragement, and the right leadeiship. We want that

spirit here, elsewhere, everywhere in the Dominion, otherwise there will be disaster ahead. “I saw another job, on the same day. It was in an unfinished state and is likely to still be when the

time comes for the penalty rate to operate for non-completion within the specified time. I impressed —unfavourably. All was silence. Not a worker was in sight. Full ad-

vantage was being taken of the forty-hour five-day week, and the job was a long way from completion. In the absence of the workers I was unable to draw any comparison with the imported team, I was unable to converse with any of them, to ascertain reasons for the slow progress or to draw conclusions. - Perhaps it. was just as well.”