NATIONAL WAR COUNCIL

Grey River Argus, 22 May 1942, Page 2

NATIONAL WAR COUNCIL

GOVERNMENT’S POLICY STATED. WELLINGTON, May 19. A 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 heart-burning among business people, who had 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 fill 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 maintaining services of fundamental importance to the continued industrial life of the community, such as transport services, power supply, and other similar industries.

‘ “Thes 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 put 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 been dratted into the forces. “As you iare no doubt aware, tne administrative machinery which has been set up to give effect to this redistribution of female labour n a s been operated through the district man-power officers located at all tne main centres in the Dominion. Why 6 these officers are given wide discretion in the selection of girls for direction into essential work, there are certain definite principles whicn have been laid down for their gui ance. , “For 'example, the direction voung girls into distant work away from their homes has been a wherever possible. ‘Again, yoluntee are invariably given P raC ®f on ,] V compulsion has been m s isted o’! ~ where its exercise h as . be ® n doable. Nucleus staffs have been pro tected to some extent, even in i non essential firms, so that normal work inp - can be quickly resumed after th wfr While the public interest and the winning of the war re °J q e t r ' ri b e ling considerations which mik nrnncrlv studied, genuine hardship W secrifice are Avoided wherever it is possible to do so.