PLAN TO ASSURE SUPPLY OF SKILLED LABOUR

Northern Advocate, 24 August 1937, Page 6

PLAN TO ASSURE SUPPLY OF SKILLED LABOUR

[Special to “Northern Advocate 'M WELLINGTON, This Day. A highly important development, aiming at an assured supply of skilled labour for house construction work, and also for useful occupations for men on sustenance, was announced today by the Prime Minister, the Hon. M. J, Savage. The Government has appointed a committee of responsible heads of the principal employing departments of State, to make a prompt survey of the labour supply and of requirements for housing, public buildings, and other national works during the next 12 months. At a meeting of the committee yesterday, the Hon. P. C. Webb, ActingMinister of Labour, presided. Several other Ministers were present, and the Prime Minister addressed the gathering. Take Men. Off Sustenance, “Our object,” said Mr Savage, “is to take men off sustenance and put them into useful work under decent conditions. Training, of course, will come into the scheme, but in the first place we have to get a survey of the men available, particularly in skilled trades for building purposes, before we face up to filling the shortage, if any. “Our object is not to break down working conditions, but we must build homes at the earliest moment, and also carry out necessary work. It means planning, not biundering along, and we arc not going to allow any elements subversive or otherwise, to stand between us and (he pledges we made to the people.”