LABOUR & THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2550, 26 August 1915, Page 2

LABOUR & THE WAR

THE POSITION ADJUSTING ITSELF INCREASE OF WOMEN CLERKS, A great number of our young "men are joining the colours for service wherever the Army -authorities may decide. Monday saw the spectacle of between 400 nnd 500 young men, a large proportion of whom belonged to Wellington City, striding through the City en route to camp, slid the telegraphic press messengers record the departure for 'lVentliam of the quotas from - the various centrcs." This, has now been going on for'the best part of twelve months, and will go on until the termination of the war. It is natural to conclude that the withdrawal from the ranks of ordinary employment would create a large number of vacancies, perhaps to an embarrassing oxtent; With a view of ascertaining something respecting the matter Mr. F. - W.' Rowley, Secretary for Labour, was called upon yesterday and . asked if the Department was receiving any extra calls on that account. Mr. IVowley said that he had been exercised on, the same point some littlo tipie ago, and had issued instructions to branches throughout the-Dominion asking for reports on the : subject so that they would .be in a position to help as far as possible with the" filling of vacancies, but a-i a matter of fact the Department, was not officially cognisant of any shortage jii the direction indicated. The position seemed to be adjusting itself without the aid, of tlie resources of the Labour Department. He understood that in clerical, work _ a good .deal 'of -' female labour was being employed: ill place of the. men who had gone abroad.'Some of the banks and legal offices were employing women clerks now. He had heard of no particular shortage as regards . trades iii ' Wellington, "but the farmers were concerned about tlio possible insufficiency of labour for.thoj har- . vest. It was true that a great number of the young men who had enlisted had come from the rural districts, kit he did not think that the situation would be a difficult one to handle. It was . possible that a good many men employed on co-operative works for the Government could'be released for the six weeks or two months they were requiredfor tlie harvesting; and: there might be : plenty of others willing to forgo their ordinary' work to spend a few weeks in the country at the. best time of the year to help the fanners out of their trouble.