CALLS ON MAN-POWER

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 8, 10 January 1942, Page 5

CALLS ON MAN-POWER

AVOIDING DISRUPTION

"The position of skilled labour in the building trade is well known; there is a definite shortage and no hope, of replenishing it from the labour market," said the chairman of the No. '6a Man-power Committee (Mr. T. L. Seddon), commenting upon certain appeals. "On the other hand, it cannot be said that there is a definite shortage of men for the armed forces. More can still be obtained by ballot." As a matter of fact, one wondered, he added, why the shortage in the ranks of the National Military Reserve could not be filled by this means or from serving Territorials who had been voluntarily enlisted if the reserve desired to retain its distinctive character as a volunteer unit. It seemed to him to be immaterial, as it was part of the armed forces. "Some such arrangement," he said, "would certainly have caused less disruption to the economic life of the community and quickly achieved the desired result." ENGAGED IN WAE WORK. The appeals under notice were those lodged by a firm of building contractors against the calling up of six employees. The chairman said that the company" was engaged exclusively in war work, mainly at the camps. In the committee's opinion, the work which the company was doing was essential to the war effort. The country could not have the men in both capacities at the one time, and the committee had to consider which was the more vital. It could be said, in fact, that the efficient functioning of the armed forces depended upon the rapid completion of the work upon which the company was engaged. "Having regard to these circumstances," the chairman said, in intimating that the appeals would be allowed, "the committee is of the opinion that to remove th,ese men from their civilian occupations at the present time would jeopardise urgent and essential war production."