WOMEN IN WAR WORK

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 May 1942, Page 3

WOMEN IN WAR WORK

t DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT

WELLINGTON, May 19. /V statement which he had obtained from the Director of National Service (Mr. J. S. Hunter) on the Government's policy in utilising the services of women in the war effort, was read to the Wellington Chamber of Commerce to-night by Mr. R. H. Nimmo. The calling-up of women had caused a good deal of concern and heartburning among business people, who bad asked him to find out the true position so that they would know what they would be confronted with, said Mr. Nimmo. “Tremendous effects on industry of the withdrawal of many thousands of men to till the ranks of the home forces have been felt throughout the whole working community,” said Mr. Hunter. “Among the industries which have suffered heavily by the loss of men have been many industries engaged in maintaining services of fundamental importance to the continued industrial life of the community, such as transport services, power supply, and other similar industries. These

industries must, however, go on and the personnel taken from them and drafted into the forces must be replaced wherever possible by the drafting-in of women. It is for this purpose that the Government’s recent action was taken to register and direct women into essential work and into the services themselves. It is obvious that women so directed have had to be taken from somewhere, and it has been inevitable that some activities in the community have had to nut up with the loss not only of men to the forces, but also of girls to carry on basic industries in the absence of other men who have also .boon drafted into the forces. “As you are no doubt aware, the administrative machinery which has been set up to give effect to this redistribution of female labour has been operated through the district manpower officers located at all the main centres in the Dominion. While these officers are given wide discretion in the selection of girls for direction into essential work, there are certain definite principles which have been laid down for their guidance. For example, the direction of young girls into distant work away from their homes has been avoided, wherever possible. Again, volunteers are invariably given precedence, and compulsion' has been insisted on only where its exercise has been unavoidable. Nucleus staffs have been protected to some extent, even in nonessential firms, so that normal working can be quickly resumed' after the war. While the public interest and the'winning of the war are over-| riding considerations which must be • nvopevly studied, genuine hardship | and sacrifice are avoided wherever it I is possible to do so.” i

AUSTRALIA'S WAR NEED. SYDNEY, May 14.. The number of women employed in Australia, 551,000. excluding domestic servants, is an increase of 40,000 since July. 1940. Because of the shortage of men caused by the Army ca’ll-up, the manpower authorities are seeking to increase this number, especially in industries associated with the war effort. The Minister for Aircraft Production, Senator Cameron, says he believes that women of the leisured class would make good munition workers. “I disagree with the opinion that the average privileged woman is unsuitable,” Senator Cameron said. “Socialites excel at golf, tennis, and organising cocktail parties and entertainments. These activities call for adaptability and skill which could be exercised usefully in munition factories. Ballet dancers and beauty-

'parlour experts have gone into fac- [ tories at Fisherman’s Bend, in Victoria, and have learned the work in a few days.” The deputy-Director-General of Manpower, Mr. Bellmore, indicated that women of independent means who are not working in any industry might be required to register as unemployed as the demand for female labour increased. Men under 60 who are unemployed for more than a week are already required to register at a National Service Office. About 86,000 women arc working for the Federal and State Governments, including 40,000 in Government munition works. The Minister for Munitions, Mr. Makin, said that the estimate that factories would require 12,700 more women in the six months ending June 30 had proved to be insufficient. The South Australian Director of Manpower, Mr. Hunkin. announced that 3000 Adelaide shopgirls, between 19 and 26, would be compulsorily transferred to war work if they did not volunteer. Murwillumbab, on the New South Wales-Queensland border, has women bus drivers, ferry-punt operators, and even a woman plumber. Mrs. Ailio Jubert, of Tweed Heads, works a mechanical flying-fox to drag bunches of bananas from the steep slopes of one plantation.