MAN-POWER COMMITTEE

Greymouth Evening Star, 10 December 1940, Page 6

MAN-POWER COMMITTEE

RAILWAYMEN’S APPEALS. [per press association.] CHRISTCHURCH, December 10. Explaining why it was considered desirable to seek adjournments sine die in cases of railway employees, conscripted for Territorial training, the National Service Department has ’advised the Christchurch Man Power Committee, that’s4s appeals had been lodged for railwaymen called in the second ballot. At the beginning of November, 1940, there were 2,361 Railway employees serving with the armed forces overseas, or in training for overseas service. In addition, 584 men were undergoing Territorial training. In the first ballot, 638 men were conscripted, and appeals, were instituted in respect of 139 of these. In the second ballot, 1,354 were called, and the Director has appealed for 545, a very large proportion of whom, are train operating crew personnel. The greater percentage of men appealed for in the second ballot was due in part to heavy seasonal operations. “It has to be pointed out that in Inspect of locomotive running and traffic branches, very few men would be available for mobilisation with the Territorial Forces, in the event of an extreme emergency,” states the National Service Department. “In the circumstances it has been considered desirable to seek adjournments sine die in all cases. The matter of availability for Territorial training,' how’ever, will be the subject of regular and close review.”

FISHERMEN’S LONG HOURS. WELLINGTON, December 10. The extraordinarily long hours worked by fishermen appeared from a case before the Manpower Committee to-day. A skipper said that he and his associate worked 18 hours a day. “This last month we have been out 29 times. It was never under 14 hours each trip, and we always start getting things ready an hour or two before we sail. Mr. Luckie: I am surprised: How can you do with so little sleep? Appellant: We are sort of used to •it. We have been brought up to it. Appellant also mentioned that all the crew were of British nationality. They landed £9OO worth, of fish last month. ' , Mr. Luckie: I reckon you earn all you get. The case was adjourned sine die.