REGISTRATION OF CHILDREN

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23947, 14 May 1943, Page 4

REGISTRATION OF CHILDREN

AUSTRALIAN OFFICIAL’S STATEMENT (Rce. 7 p.m.) SYDNEY, May 13. Australian children would not be forced into industry, declared the Di-rector-General of Manpower (Mr W. C. Wurth). He challenged a statement made by Mr R. A. Henderson, president of the Australian Newspaper Proprietors’ Association. At a meeting of the association Mr Henderson said: ‘‘ln the last few weeks we have seen power exercised to force children to register with the manpower authorities, and some of them to attend on these gentlemen for the purpose of being directed into industry.” Children over 14 had to register, said Mr Wurth, but registration was m the child's interest. In common with everyone else, every child had to apply to a National Service Office if he wanted employment. It was a commonsense and time-saving procedure to obtain mass registration at once, rather than have these registrations made individually. Each chdd's qualifications and aptitudes would be considered. to keep him out of a deadend job. Mr Henderson said: ‘‘Mr Wurth is quibbling. His own statement shows that children' are required to register and that if desiring employment they must apply to a National Service office.”