MANPOWER APPEALS

Grey River Argus, 4 May 1944, Page 2

MANPOWER APPEALS

greymouth cases heard.

. Seventeen appeals against direction into essential occupations, by the Manpower Officer were heard by the Christchurch Manpower Appeals Committee, at Greymouth yesterday. Mr. K. G. Archer presided and associated with him were Messrs H. Lee, ip. J. Kelly and T. A. Jacobsen (Secretary). The District Manpower Officer, Mr. G. G. M. Mitchell, also was present. Margaret Hannant Mack and Tymon’s Ltd., (Mr. W. D. Taylor) appealed against the former’s direction to the Hokitika Mental Hospital. Mr. j. Pointen, manager, gave details of appellant’s experience, and of the staffing position at present. The firm’s turnover had increased. One male had joined the merchant navy, three women had voluntarily entered essential occupations; a married woman had left when her husband returned from overseas, while another had left on a doctor’s order. Two married women now served in the shop. One had some experience when she was younger. The parcelboy was the only junior assistant. Advertisements for assistants had not met with satisfactory results. _ The proprietor, Mr. F. Williams, did no work in the shop at all. Appellant could also look after the office. Mr. Thomas Bond, Secretary Shop Assistants’ Union, Greymouth, said that in 1939, the Union had a membership of 500, 'while now it was 225. He felt that the services of Miss Mack should be retained. Appellant, Miss Mack said her health would not allow her to do nursing work. She had special privileges at her present employment. She produced a medical certificate from Dr. Moore. She could not stand on her feet all day. Mr. Mitchell said that Dr.. W. A. Bird passed her as fit for direction. In view of Dr. Moore’s certificate n appeared desirable to withdraw the direction. . Mr. Taylor said that the Shop Assistants’ Advisory Committee supported the appeal. , , , The chairman said that both had fairly good grounds for appeals, ano they would be allowed. Miller’s Ltd (Hokitika) and Sybil Emmeline Heinz (Mr. J. W. Hannan) appealed for Sybil Heinz. Mr L. McDougall, manager, gave details of the staffing position Appellant had been a member of the staff for fourteen years. She was in sole charge of the showroom, and had two assistants. None of the staff had had experience in showroom work. No replies had been received to advertisements for a substitute. The appellant, Miss Heinz, said after 14 years’ experience she did not desire to 'leave Millers to go to Mental Hospital work, a job she knew nothing about. She also appealed on health reasons, and produced a certificate from Dr. J. F. C. Moore. The firm would be inconvenienced if she left. “There is no doubt appellant is occupying a key position, and there seems to be some doubt as to her health. Therefore, the appbal will be allowed.” said the chairman. transfer opposed.

National Broadcasting Service .opposed permission being granted lan Fletcher Baird (Mr. Taylor) to terminate his employment as technician at 3ZR. Greymouth. Mr. Mervyn Lawrence, acting station manager, appearing for the Department, produced a written statement concerning the Department s staffing position. If a qualified man was lost, a technical trainee would have to he appointed. The Department was taking as many trainees as it could. To Mr. Taylor: Baird was at present on five weeks’ leave.. . The station manager was a technician .as wasone other man besides Baird.. The chairman said that it would not be necessary for evidence to be given in opposition. The Manpower Officer had given his decision and the onus was on the service to prove that Baird could not be spared. The Committee was not satisfied that such was the case, there 1 ' being apparently a sufficient number of technicians, at Greymouth. The anneal would be dismissed and the Manpower Officer’s decision woulci stand. , , , Grev Hospital Board appealed against the direction of Margaret Mary Collett, nursing aide, to the Mental Hospital, Hokitika. Mr. Mitchell said that directee had been directed to the Hospital but .owing to illness could not go. However, she then began work at the Grey River Hospital, which lodged an appeal for her. He would like the Committee to rule whether the appeal ' was admissable or not, Collett already being a directed person, when emploved. ~ The chairman sa.'d he would reserve the point until evidence had been given. The Managing-Secretary, Mr. J. E A. McKeefry. said’ directee had had an application to be a nurse in since last October. She had been unsuitable and had been sent to the Old People’s Home. The Mental Hos- ' ffital, according to advice received, did •not now require the services of direc- ''■• Mr. Mitchell pointed out that . his ..permission had not been obtained ■ prior to directee’s employment at the hospital, as was required under the regulations. , , Mr. McKeefrv said he had been advised by the Manpower Officer after he had "employed Collett, that she had already been directed. He then lodgeo deplored the lack of co-operation of the Hospital Board. Mr McKeefry said that the Board considered that' the action of the Manpower Officer in directing an employee of the Board to the Mental Hospital was not in accordance with the instructions issued to Manpower Officers by the Director of National ■Service to the effect that girls' should be asked when being interviewed if they were interested in nursing and if q’o to °-et in touch with the hospital •authorities. The Board considered that was in keeping with their resolution not to force girls into the profession against their (will. Certainly the Director’s ruling did not refer to ' Co J?At Ul the n time of Collett’s direction on March 14, the Grey Hospital Board had no connection with her, at she was not then employed by them and thev had no right to an. appeal,’ said the chairman, announcing the Committee’s decision following .a short adiournment. “At anyrate, the appeal - was not made within the seven days allowed’, so the Committee cannot hearthe appeal. Therefore, even if "thf appeal had been m order, it would havp tn be struck out on those -grounds. We hold that the Board had no right to the appeal, which will be struck out. At the same time, I • must express the Committee’s regret the unfortunate lack of co-opera-?ion between the Hospital Board and the Manpower Officer in this d’ sti et, XW between the Board and the . . +oi Hospital’s Department, Hoki- £ His granted that Mr. McKeefnot know that Collett was unC aLarltinn to the Mental Hospital, ffoweve'r he was later advised and ■Withstanding this continued to emnotwithstanaing l ri „ ht to ■ plOy .n? e for her C ™S perfectly clear "rßulSs L.ieh they Aat Il th Sas ZT greatly In need o f

staff. It is a perfectly favourable direction and she would be there n ,o w had it not been for the actidn of the Grey Hosoital Board in the matter, he concluded. „ Mrs. A. R. Hall (Mr. J. W. Hannan) appealed against the direction of Rona Mervl Feillon to the Post and Telegraph Department, Greymouth. , , v. „ Appellant’s husband, Richard Kobers Hall stated that his wife had o; some years suffered from altlll ,T,a’ which' was a regular handicap, «nd made her unfit to do any hou t s ,^ ]hle at all. Since she had had her troutde a great deal of the housewoik <• been done by her daughter, .worked now at the Opera House for about .three hours a day and [available for the remainder oi we ■ time at home. There were no ; single daughters m the , It (Wife was not totally mcapacita me was impossible to gei any pa ; help, and it was notpossible for any of the other daughters, who we e marr’e-i to assist. S'he prepaied meals ’and did the bulk of the housework i ‘ You have definitely made up rj I mind,” said witness to Mr. you “And it was not very tactful of y tn make the statement to her that you (would get her out of U.«e when I was issuing you WJ th a ticke the pictures, and I don t think it part of your job to tell hei that sne would look very well behina the Post 0 «He wTtrJing to sell her the idea,” 'commented the chairman. Mr. Mitchell said it was inn'’ oS hehi»d° t h? P '°U“” Order LounteZal the Post Olliee. Mrs. Hall's h lSoXfhe‘ e "f a ntedical certificate, the appeal was ac.iourned for two months. ' The direction of Josephine Butler to the Hokitika Mental Hospital was cbiected to by Brown, Walters and Co Ltd., the appeal being struck out, when Mr. Mitchell stated that the direction would be /withdrawn, but would be revived in six months. Mrs. Angela Stella appealed against the direction of Gianina' Stella to the Godfrey Phillips Tobacco Factory, Wellington. Directee stated that her mother, an Italian, could not speak English and was not naturalised. Her mother could not do all the housework for the family on her own. On occasions when she was away, her brother stayed away from school to assist his mother/ She did some dressmaking at home. . The anpeal was dismissed. Anne Hyacinth Brown (Mr. Taylor) appealed against her direction to the Woburn Hostel, Lower Hutt. Miss Brown said she was employed as housekeeper for Mr. W. B. Gilbert for whom she had been working for 17 years. She was prepared to do essential work in Christchurch or Greymouth. She had no friends or relations in Wellington and had never worked awav from Greymouth. She had two sisters in Christchurch. The appeal was dismissed. Richard Alfred Robertson (Mr. Hannan) appealed against the District Manpower Officer’s decision refusing him nermissic. to terminate his employment with the Railways Department, at Runanga (Mr. F. G. Clark, District Traffic Manager). Appellant said he was a porter at Runanga. engaged in shunting work, necessitating a lot of walking and being on his feet all the time. He hat?' a broken foot some years ago and still had a deformity. Ho still had considerable pain when walking much. He had had an offer to work loading coal at a State mine. That, was practically a sedentary job. He had been examined by Dr. Bird anc, Dr. Logan on April 20, but was told nothing. On account of his foot, he was unfit for the army. Mi’. Mitchell submitted the report, by The doctors concerned, also a letter - from- appellant asking permission to leave because he said he had no chance of promotion, and in which he enclosed a copy of a memo from the stationmaster at Runanga commenting adversely on his work. Robertson said he was relying on both grounds for his case. Mr. Hannan said he did not know why the Department wished to retain Robertson. Mr. Clark said’that the main reason for Robertson wishing to leave was because more money was offeringin the other job. He was an experienced porter, and for that reason and the shortage of trained staff, the Department wished to retain him. It was proposed to transfer him to Addington, where it was hoped he would make good. . Dismissing the appeal, the chairman said that the medical board by which Robertson had been examined, had been satisfied that he was fit to do his present work. If a me..-x was unfortunate enough to have an unfavourable recommendation made about him, it was hardly sufficient reason to permit him to leave. Richard Bright, (Mr. Taylor), a Railways surfaceman, appealed against his direction to Foerua, stating that he had spent eight of his 16 years with the Department at Camerons. He objected to transfer to Poerua on the grounds of his wife’s ill-health. He produced a certificate from Dr. Moore stating that the proposed change from Camerons to 'Poerua would not be in the interests of Mrs. Bright’s health. Mr. P. H. Morey, District Engineer, said that a man with a family of school age had to be transferred away rrom Poerua and Bright was the onlyone without a family of school age who was available for Poerua. The appeal was adjourned to allow appellant’s wife to undergo medical examination.

John Francis Clean appealed against his direction to employment with the Railways Department at Cora Lynn, the case being struck out, as the direction had been withdrawn. Doreen Monica Walsh and George Kear (Mr. A. M. Jamieson) appealed against the former’s direction to the Hokitika Mental Hospital, the appeal having the support of the Utilisation Committee. George Kear stated that Miss Walsh was a trouser and vest hand of nine years’ experience. She’ was now one of a staff of three, where there had been nine before. He could not carry on without an experienced trouser and vest maker, and he knew of no one he could get to Replace Miss Walsh. Witness did all the cutting and pressing. John Roberts, Secretary of the Clothing Trades Union, supporting the appeal sajd that the garment industry was 1700 workers short.

Miss Walsh said she was the only member .of the family living at home. She had to carry on the household work when her mother was not able to do so. She said she did not wish to go to the Mental Hospital. The appeal was allowed.

Henry Duggan and Parkinson and Co. Ltd., (Mr. Taylor) appealed against the direction of Jean Duggan to the Hokitika Mental Hospital, the case having the support of the Utilisation Committee.

Mr. J. Bluett, proprietor of the firm, stated that Miss Duggan had had nine years’ experience, and was the only assistant employed with him. There was no experienced pharmacy assistant available on the West Coa’st to replace her and he could not carry ■on without an experienced assistant, i He had put the matter before the Director of Pharmacy, who had reIferred him to a circular stating that District Manpower Officers had been ! advised that, generally speaking, fejmale pharmacy assistants of six ■months’ or more experience should not be directed to other work or be permitted to join the armed forces. Directee stated that her mother’s

health was no good and she and her sister had to assist with housework. Her mother was definitely not capable of doing the housework without assistance and she put in a medical certificate in support. The appeal was allowed. Hokitika Sitting FOUR AP.PEALS HEARD. HOKITIKA, May 3. At a sitting of the Manpower Appeal Committe here last evening four cases were heard. Rose A. A. Stapleton and J. H. Stapleton (Mr. A. R. Elcock) appealed against the direction of Miss Stapleton to work at the Hokitika Mental Hospital. The chairman (Mr. K. G. Archer) said that a direction order had been issued in October and had not been obeyed. He asked the Manpower Officer (Mr. G. G. M. Mitchell) if there was any particular reason for the delay. ■ ) Mr. Mitchell intimated that some delay was caused through the wrong wording having been used on a summons recently issued for non-compli-ance with the order. The Magistrate had held that the summons (was invalid, and the case had been dismissed. James Stapleton said his daughter helped with the housework before going to work at the shop. He was 77 years of age and his wife 73. One son’ worked at the hospital, and another daughter worked as a bo.okeeper, and helped with the garden. Another daughter, a widow, Mrs. Cowdry, worked at the Harbour Board in the mornings, and at the shop in the afternoon. She had her own home to atteno to. He could not afford to have help in the home. Two sons were serving in the forces, one of them overseas.

The chairman: If you are up against jt a's you say vou are, could not the son give a hand with the garden work? Witness said his son was home for only short periods, being mostly at the hospital. Mr. Elcock asked the Court to consider the request for a medical examination before appellant was ordered to the Mental Hospital. . Mr. Mitchell said it was a bit late to ask for that. , In reply to the chairman Mr. Elcock said that the appellant was refused an examination bv Dr. Arnott. The chairman intimated that tne appellant was not restricted to any one oarticular doctor. However she had hot made any attempt to comply with the order, which had been issued last October. ' It was for the appellant to make the arrangements and this had not been done.-' The onus was on her to prove her case on medical grounds. Mr. Elcock admitted that his client had acted foolishly. The appeal was dismissed. Air Travel (N.Z.) Ltd., (Mr. M-. 8. James) appealed against the direction of Marie Joan Mercer to work at Godfrey Phillips Tobacco Factory, Wellington. Mr. J. C. Mercer, manager of Air Travel (N.Z.) Ltd., said that Miss Mercer had been with the firm for a considerable period taking over when the chief clerk had gone into the forces. She kept all the records and could not be replaced. The services being carried on by the company were essential. The appeal was allowed.

Aileen Alice Manera (Mr. Elcock) and Mrs. Trembath appealed against Miss Mariera’s direction to work at the Hokitika Mental Hospital.

Miss Manera said that she was in partnership in a fruit and ice-cream shop in Ross. Mrs. Trembath was the partner. The shop was the only one of its kind in Ross. The partnership had existed for three years. It was not possible to secure any person to take over the work. Mrs. Trembath had to go to Christchurch for medical treatment at various periods throughout the year. The chairman said that surely there was some person in the town who could take over the .job. The appeal was dismissed. Hazel B. C. Keller and James Kina 'Mr. James) appealed against the direction of Miss Keller to the Woburn Hostel, Lower Hutt Mr King said that Miss Keller was the only person employed by him. She knew the business and had been with the firm for a long period. She attended to the mails and assisted in keeping the records of the firm. Mr. James handed in a statement setting out the facts. The appeal was allowed.