LEAVE TO MARRY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 42, 19 February 1942, Page 8

LEAVE TO MARRY

EFFECT OF NEW LAWS

(0.C.) CHRISTCHURCH, This Day

Human interests not usually within the scope of Government regulations are closely affected by the new laws declaring certain industries to be essential. For instance, girls working in those industries, which include many types of hospitals, have to seek official permission before leaving to marry. A number of such applications have been made in Christchurch already to the District Man-power Officer (Mr. H. L. Read).

The official.attitude to such requests, as explained by Mr, Read yesterday, is that the Government stops no one from marrying. If it is a girl's intention to set up a home after marriage she is given permission to leave the industry for that purpose. However, as often happens in wartime, if the husband has to go away on active service arid it is not expected in the meantime to set up a permanent home, it is thought better that a girl in an essential industry should go back to it so that the country may keep the services of a skilled worker. In. such cases leave is granted.

The. regulations generally, said Mr. Read, were interpreted throughout the country from the viewpoint of the national, as against the personal, good. Skilled operatives in an essential industry could not go to a non-essential one, even if it meant more pay. But in certain cases it could be permissible for a man to change jobs for his own betterment, within the one essential industry. The factor determining the decision was the effect on. production of the man's transfer.

There is power under the regulations for offenders to be prosecuted. There is already a big sheaf of index cards filed in Christchurch of applications made by workers affected, and each case is given individual consideration and treated according to its own facts.