MANPOWER IN N.Z.

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23813, 5 December 1942, Page 6

MANPOWER IN N.Z.

Needs Of Army And Industry

PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE

CPA) WELLINGTON, December 4. The problem of balancing New Zealand's manpower requirements for tne armed forces against those of industry was debated in the House of Representatives this afternoon. The debate. which was not broadcast was opened by the Prime Minister uhe Ri. Hon. P. Fraser), who gave a review of the manpower position as he viewed

At the moment, Mr Fraser said, the problem facing the War Cabinet was how far men could be released from the armed forces for civil work. If, for instance, the Japanese broke through it would be necessary to tighten up, and he thought members could a*ree that, if such circumstances arose, industry would have to bear the whole impact.' whether it could stand it or not. The Army, Navy, and Air Force would then have first priority. If New Zealand was in danger of attack, it would be their shores, homes, and lives they would have to defend, not their industries. New Zealand was at present temporarily, and he hoped permanently, in a position to review the whole situation. Until the return of the Minister of the Armed Forces and War Coordination (the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates) and a number of service officers from the Pacific Islands recently, the War Cabinet was not in the position he had indicated, because it was only after this visit that they could get an accurate picture of the Pacific position, and that picture was much better than they were led to believe by cable and -newspaper reports. New Zealand must honour her obligations in the Pacific and elsewhere, added Mr Fraser, and at the same time the country had a big job in helping to produce for increasingly large forces, in the south Pacific, It may be charged, he said, that New Zealand was doing too much, but that was a charge he would be prepared to rneet. He did not think New Zealand could do too much and, taken by and large, he considered a very good job had been done. Now. the question was: “Could we relax dnd to what extent.

Mr Holland’s Views

The Leader of the Opposition (Mr S. G. Holland) said there was no subject that was causing more concern throughout■the country than manpower, and that must be considered under two headings, namely the requirements of the Army and the requirements of industry. With the improvement of the war situation he thought the time had arrived for a complete overhaul of the manpower position. , . Mr Holland said conditions during this war could not be compared with those in the last war. For* instance, •in this war, the Dominion was sending to Britain six times more butter and two and a half times more cheese and more meat and wool than it sent in the last war.

To-day there was a shortage of many requirements in New Zealand and it seemed entirely wrong that New Zealand should be importing potatoes from overseas and wheat, and that there should be a shortage of children’s clothing when factories were working only about 40i hours a week, said Mr Holland. The shortage of men was throwing an extra strain on women on farms and in factories. Mr Holland contended that with the greatly improved war situation there was no justification for the calling up ox men of 41-45. There were tens of thousands of young, fit men in industry who could be replaced by older men. The New • Zealand forces in the

Pacific were part of New Zealand’s defences, but it was absurd to be maintaining so many men in New Zealand as well. Mr Holland also criticised the fact

that the War Cabinet had made decisions without Parliament being consulted, such as the changing of the age group system. But whatever decision had been made by the War Cabinet, New Zealand would have to stand behind them, if they agreed or not. He for one would help the Government to stand by. its commitments. Rapid Decisions Necessary

Referring to Mr Holland’s complaint that the War Cabinet had made decisions without consulting the House, the Minister of Supply (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan) asked if it were possible to run a war where rapid decisions had to be made if Parliament were to be consulted every time. If democratic countries had done this in the past the war would now be over and the Axis countries would have won. It would be an impossible position. Moreover, said the Minister, the Leader of the Opposition could at any time challenge any decisions that had been made. That could be done in Parliament and Parliament was • supreme. Mr Holland had referred to the impossibility of the Dominion maintaining large forces overseas and in the Dominion itself, Mr Sullivan continued. Which of those forces would he eliminate? If New Zealand was doing too much from a military point of view, then what did Mr Holland think should be done? Did he desire the division to come back from the Middle East or did he think New Zealand should refuse to play its part in the Pacific in rendering aid to America? , Mr Sullivan said Mr Holland had also mentioned that he did not agree with the change in the call-up system of military service from the family group system to the age group system. This was the first time any protest had come from the Opposition regarding the matter and, if he had thought the change wrong, Mr Holland should have said so at the time. Mr Poison said that what the Opposition had objected to was the change of policy being made by the War Cabinet without Parliament being consulted. Parliament was entitled to be consulted on such subjects, and after all the War Cabinet was not infallible. Mr Poison contended it was unsound to cling to what was proposed at a time when circumstances were black when the situation had changed^ ; If New Zealand were to do its job , .in production then the balance of 1 'manpower could better be utilised maintaining production if the economy of the country was to stand up to the strain.

Japanese Prisoners in New Zealand The Minister of Defence (the Hon. (F. Jones) mentioned that a certain number of Japanese prisoners of war had arrived in New Zealand and the question had arisen as to the best means of utilising their labour. One suggestion was that the prisoners might be used for work on vegetable gardens, and there was also work m the camps and on a South Island project that had been mentioned. One of the difficulties was the necessity for an armed guard 24 hours a day, He wondered if, in view of the number of guards that would be required, whether more work would be done if the guards were employed instead of the prisoners. Mr W. S. Goosman (Opposition, Waikato): Are they difficult to handle? •Mr Jones: No, they are ehsy to handle, and a report on work they could do is now before the War Cabinet. Mr J. A. Lee (Democratic Labour, Grey Lynn) contended that when the African-campaign was ended the New Zealand Division should be brought back to serve in the Pacific. When the present campaign was ended the Jtfew Zealand Division should be rested and not reinforced until it was possible to bring it back. He thought that the war situation might get worse and that the war would last for a long time yet, perhaps four or five years, though he hoped he was completely wrong. In reply, the Prime Minister said New Zealand had never yet failed on any big or important matter when it had been approached to do something In an emergency.