DOMINION’S MAN-POWER

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 October 1939, Page 4

DOMINION’S MAN-POWER

CO-ORDINATING COUNCIL. | MR. WEBB AS PRESIDENT. [PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, October 21. To avoid drafting men who are essential to industries and primary production into the armed forces, a central council is being appointed by the Government to co-ordinate the work of the bodies dealing with the organisation of the man-power of the Dominion. The Minister for Labour (Mr. Webb) will be president, of the council, and will be in charge of oiganisation. The plan prepared by the Government was announced to-day by the Minister for Finance (Mr. Nash), who said that considerable attention had been directed to the problems associated with the organisation of manpower during the war. “In announcing these steps,” said Mr. Nash, “it has to be remarked that very efficient staff arrangements have 1 been in existence for some considerable time associated with the Organisation of National Security to study proposals for the utilisation of manpower, and to formulate recommendations to the Government, as to action that might be taken. As the outcome, the closest co-ordination exists between the various organisations handling.important aspects, of Governmental administration and the interruption of production and essential services that would have occurred if men had been indiscriminately accepted for defence had been largely avoided by the measures prepared before the emergency arose.

“The Government fully appreciates, however, that, as the war progresses, changes in administralipn must be made to meet the increasing number of new problems that arise, and the time has already arrived for all the questions relating to man-power to be placed under the direct jurisdiction of one Minister. The Government has decided, therefore, to take that course, and Mr. Webb will, in future, have control of this important part of the Dominion’s war activities. “There will be associated with the Minister, a central council consisting of one employers’ and one labour representative from each of the three councils appointed by the Government, namely the Primary Production Council, the Factory Production Council, and the Industrial .Emergency Council. “The central council, which will be presided over by the Minister, will also include one senior officer representing the armed forces. The personnel will consist of men with wide experience in sheep and dairy farming, manufacturing, secondary industries, and labour problems related thereto.

FUNCTIONS OUTLINED “The general functions of the organisation will be to inquire into and report upon all matters affecting the utilisation of the man-power of the Dominion in order to maintain efficiently essential services and production. and to bring about the greatest effort to expand our resources to the full. The organisation will also provide a valuable co-ordinating machinery of the other three councils, and avoid any overlapping that might occur.

“Naturally, an organisation of this kind will require to have attached to it a competent staff, but the Government does not desire to create new departmental machinery for the purpose at this stage, and will utilise to the full existing departments with suitable organisation for the work. “An important part of the work of the organisation will be a constant review of the possible effect of recruiting on industry, so that the closest coordination can be achieved with the armed forces to avoid the acceptance of men more valuable in their normal avocations. Already numerous applications are being received from employers to have their industries or key positions placed on the reserved list. These call for the most careful examination, as it is appreciated that only the most serious considerations should stand between the desire of our citizens to serve in the defence of the nation and their retention in the production of essential commodities. “The object will be so to organise our activities as to secure the utmost co-ordination with those controlling industry, and thereby utilise all existing State and private organisations to find efficient successors for those desiring to serve in the armed forces, so that the period of postponement can be reduced to a minimum. There will be cases, however, where men will be temporarily retained in industry and the Government particularly seeks their co-operation with the assurance that everything will be done to enable them to assume the obligations they have voluntarily undertaken as soon as it can bo. arranged.”