N.Z. DEFENCE EFFORTS

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 January 1942, Page 8

N.Z. DEFENCE EFFORTS

*W I ESSENTIAL INDUSTRIES rt£T'- . ■■ * MR. SEMPLE’S STATEMENT WELLINGTON, January 2(1. Important additions to the list of undertakings declared essential under the recent amendment to the National Service Emergency Regulations may be expected shortly, according to an announcement made by the Minister of National Service, to-day. Mr. Semple said that the lists at present gazetted were not final, but they represented a fairly-wide initial coverage of the work of major importance in various fields. Developments in the Pacific made reliance on our own efforts in war production necessary, and consequently our industrial front line must be preserved intact. Mobilisation for home defence had added further difficulties in obtaining sufficient skilled labour for essential industries. It was imperative that every person in front-line, industry should stick to his or tier; post, and so conserve the labotn/ force most immediately and substan - i t.iauy concerned with urgent war production and necessary civilian needs. 1 The Minister explained that the j new regulations were automatically i binding on each undertaking in those j industries declared as a whole, and | no worker, male or female, and no ! employer coming within this class ■ might terminate engagement without! the prior consent in writing of the i District Manpower Officer. The in - i dus tries so covered were butter and cheese factories registered under the Dairy Produce Regulations, 1938, coal-mining, linen flax mills, timber milling, electric power production and supply, manufacture and supply of coal-gas, and public and private hos- i pif-ils. In respect of tradesmen per- 1 manently employed, cooks and kir- ! chen hands, domestics, and laundry .-imployces and porter.-:. In addition to j dicsc, said Mr. Semple, the present I declarations also covered some .390 ! periicuLn' imdoi takings, each one b_- j mg specifically designated. Within! imii:- as io the class of work and lo- j .•alivy. these were equally bound by! .he provisions of the regulations. Co, - dfivulcs or declaration and notices’ :otm:g oui the main obligations im•jesed were being issued to employ- i rs, who. however, wore bound by ih- I miation, irrespective of the receipt! l of any certificate or notice. An obi; •|;

gation rested on each undertaking to •jsceriiiin whether its name appeared : n the? Gazette, and to secure cooies if urn notice from the nearest Disrjet Manpower Officer. The firms ■ffecuxl fell under the following mum Those engaeed subst-.m-tially on contracts for munitions, military supplies, and fire-fighting equio■nent, woollen mills, knitting mills :r factories, rubber mills, and cloth:ng factories, footwear factories, tanneries. box factories, firms engaged on work essential to military construction and communications, shipbuilding and repairing. flaxmills fphormium). freezing works, and airmail manufacture.

After stressing the importance of :he railways, certain branches ofj which had.been covered by the declaration. Mr. Semple added that, in industries or undertakings declared essential, employment might not oe terminated except with the consent of the District Manpower Officer, who would advise and assist- in every way. This officer would, however, refuse permission only where termination of employment could be expected to have an adverse affect on war production or other essential work. While it was desirable to keep the movements of labour at a minimum, and give industries the greatest possible stability, it was not intended to slop all movements of labour in essential industries. Labour might continue to ■ move freely into essential industries, | said Mr. Semple, but all labour in | ilhose industries could move out only j ■with the consent , of the District j Manpower Officers, through whom the National Service Department would safeguard the public interest and protect the country’s war pro- 1 duction. | Mr. Semple also stated that the declaration of an industry to bo essential did not affect, the military ob-| ligations of persons engaged in it. In : the case of key workers called up for service, postponements would still; |have to be sought by the already-ex- I. ■isting appeals procedure, to Appeal i. Boards and Manpower Committees. ; I I i BISCUIT PRODUCTION l WELLINGTON, January 20. I ' Mr. D. I. MacDonald, secretary of the New Zealand Biscuit Manufacturers’ Association, stated to-day, that biscuit manufacturers who had been engaged on a service biscuit contract for the last, ten months, met at

Christchurch, last week-end, to consider a request from the Food Controller for a large increase in the , contract. One of the Food Controller’s officers was pres'ent, and explained fully the circumstances giving rise to the request. The manufacturers concerned agreed to reorganise their businesses to meet the substantial production now required of them for war purposes. . This adjustment will be commenced immediately, said Mr. MacDonald, and naturally means some reduction ; in the varieties and quantities of bis- ; edits that will be available for do- '. mestic consumption. However, the ! general public could rest assured that j there would be ample biscuits available to meet all normal domestic re--1 quirements, and except that certain ! varieties might disappear from the .market, it was unlikely the public ; would be greatly affected. It had been ! further decided, however, that no i biscuits in future would be put up in I packets, and beyond the small quantity of packeted biscuits now in the I shops of the retailers, all biscuits i would have, in future, to be bought loose. With the assistance of the I workers in the industry who had alj ready materially assisted towards 'meeting the increased production of . the last ten months, the factory proIprietors feel that the substantially increased volume of production now required. can be obtained. I PARLIAMENT’S SECRET SESSION.

j WELLINGTON, January 19. I The next session of Parliament . will again be brief, its purpose being ■ mainly to inform members of the I war situation and the steps taken for ! the defence of New Zealand. An important select committee report is likely to be presented following an investigation of the problem of marginal lands. There are other committee reports for presentation, and the usual Parliamentary select committees have to be appointed. I Secret meetings of the House will ;be held. Although February 5 is indicated as the date, there will be I an earlier session if justified by the I situation. I ! AUCKLAND SHELTER-TUNNELS : , AUCKLAND, January 19. ; , A scheme to provide a deep air-raid shelter for more than 20,000 oeople in tunnels under Albert Park and Constitution Hill is to be submitted to the Government through the Public Works Department by the Auckland City Council and the Auckland central committee of the Emergency Precau-

. I lions Services. The Mayor and Chief -j Warden (Mr. J. A. C. Ahum) said that :l various proposals were under discuss I sion. Plans for tlie scheme prepared - ;b.Y the works technical group coms 1 mittee were nearing completion, and : an early decision was expected. The . ■ scheme is complementary to one re- - jcntly announced for making public - 'shelters in 35 buildings in the central s • city area. If it is accepted by the Gov- . ernment, the State will provide 75 per . cent, of the cost under the provisions I of the Emergency Shelter Regulations. The proposed shelters consist of . three systems of timbered tunnels, ; two under Albert Park and one under • Constitution Hill, with about a dozen entrances distributed so as to give • easy access from various directions. . •iThe scheme provides for linking the : ; two groups of tunnels under Albert Park with each other and, by long ! connecting tunnels, with the "Gonsti- ; tution Hill group. This arrangement : '■ is meant to ensure that if some of the | entrances were closed by bomb ex- : plosions, a number of others would be , ; available for egress, if necessary at a ’ ' distance. Mechanical ventilation, . sanitation, and electric lighting are ; important features of the scheme. The ‘ steepness of the hillsides ensures! Sample head cover at a moderate dis- L lance inside each entrance. ] ?\s a preliminary to converting the shelter, tracks have been cut leading , to both entrances from nearby streets. IThe first work required to be done in j the tunnel is to move certain electrical J wires and cables that now run through ■ it. 1