REDUOTION OF FORCES

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 24092, 30 October 1943, Page 5

REDUOTION OF FORCES

TRANSFER OF MEN ! TO INDUSTRY, ! RELEASES STILL BEING MADE “ The Press,” Special Service. WELLINGTON, October 39. "The process of reduction of tho armed forces is riot by any means finished, and a steady stream of men continues to flow from the armed forces into industry,” said the Minister of Industrial Manpower (the Hon. A. McLagan), when giving figures showing the number of men who have been released from the forces fof, this purpose. „He said that during the period between April 1 and September 28, 1943, a total of 12,241 men were released through district manpower offlCMr McLagan said that in addition there had been several hundred releases through armed forces, appeal boards, and further, there had been "A steady inflow of manpower back into industry through rehabilitation measures. This latter flow had now readied substantial proportions due to the larger number of men returning from overseas. 1 , , An analysis of the 12,241 releases which have resulted ;In men being placed in industry by district manpower officers is as follows:—^ . Primary Industry.—Fishing and trap^ Sing, 45; sheepfarming, 426; dairy farmig, 1065; other farming, tobacco, and vegetable growing, 875; flax growing and milling, 132: bush sawmilling, 183] coal mining, 105; other mining and quarrying, 43. Building and Construction.—l 247. Transport and Communication.— Railways, (including workshops and motor services), 583; motor services, not elsewhere included {including garages), 469; other • transport services, 2SB; post and Telegraph and radio broadcasting, 254., Heat, Light, and Power.-r-125.- , Secondary Industry,—Engineering arid metal trades, 991; meat= freezing, preserving, etc., 254; butter and cheese manufacture, 112; other food and drink industries, 331; fellmongering, woolscouring, tanning, 45; textile, fibre, and clothing. 220; leather working and repair, 111; building materials, manufacture, 97; timber* joinery, and box-mak-ing, 199; furnishings manufacture, 194: paper, printing, and - publishing, 224; other secondary industries, 349. ' ' Commerce and Finance.—Banks, insurance, trustees, etc.* 340; shopc, warehouses, depots, etc., .1605; stock and station agencies'and starfige;>i26. Public Administration. Professional, welfare (riot religion), 80r education. 148; lawyers, justice, and prisons, 61; . Goverrnnentf departmentS; tijof < elsewhere included, 392; local -authorities not elsewhere included, 171; miscellaneous services and; professions; 171; students, 248. Total, . 12.241. ; y , . ‘ Few Faria Workers’ to Forces Referring to the' flgutes relating’ to releases to the. farming Industry, :~Mr . McLagan said it made-clear ;•• that at the time these were r taken ■ out there. was a vriry substantial further release of farming' , Workers I actually in tram. The number r Of facra '\ workers left ,in the -'armed forces- was now exceedingly small; . and theonly reason why more *Were not released to this particular ‘group of industries during the period Apm,l sto>September 28 of this year was that .the. great majority of farming. workers ’ New Zealand forces nad already; been ► - released before April 1. < IPbeh * present releases • had,- been competed J > Uiere would be . virtually, no. farming ' workers left in the Army in New Zealand. * - , (t ' “Another point Jba noted in connexion,, with., the lAbbva * . figures,” added Mr 'McLagririi'^iflittit. they contain approximately *OOO VJB ■ ' and 19-year-old youths SFhoT.Wjafe''released as a matter of : Government policy in the earlier part. i)f tmkyearl. * This l action has' enabled’nli’Winr men toietufn In nllxasre.--to their Studies 'ttalriirig in thrir z • ' Mr'MeLagari : ffujtre&iisein.faad measureshadJjeeri taken , ensure* that, this flow would to go on for some, time* yeti . other hand, it should- not*bg fofgotteh - that;-the armed' forces had co-operated;' magnificently- in'; the. iendinjf;ofjper*r sonnel for urgent industrial;. Work; . There hpd been many timerwhen,:but for the help. or.tha-Anjay,”-vitally urgent and Important work’'would -not; have been able to be camcd ; ou£ This work had ifcfladCd loading %sd-dis-charging vessels, variouskindsoffann work, potato dig-; 1 ging. etc., and above, all* the gathering of the harvest in the.Soutn.lfland jlast'year. ’ This-last .'entetririse way sudr a; ' success that the wfaafe-johijtfgs being , undertaken ‘ by „■ the Army, agpimifhiiv-r season, and many- thousands ; of. mcn - v • .would be mobilised for tise ganised industrial- force .under Army - control. * 1 ‘ ’ J 4 "' v 1 -h. ‘‘Summing up the .whole situation,?. concluded Me McLagan, ‘ff think.-that . ‘ industry has been .. well <> served, both -by' the .Very.substan--tial release of manpower.and, by- the t co-operation which *the, armed' fofbef- , have given both 'in - urgent. individual 5, if' cases and in undertaking-large; Urgent and important jobs’ forlndurtjfy.” ’