WHY NATIONAL SERVICE FAILED

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume L, Issue 175, 27 October 1917, Page 7

WHY NATIONAL SERVICE FAILED

MR NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN'S - EXPLANATION. ; The following letter from Mr Neville 1 , late Director of National vService, was received by 'Mr ButterVorth, Director of National Service .Committees' Department : St. Ermin's. Westminster, August 10. 1917. Dear Sir, —Before leaving this department I should like through you to • express to the local National service Committees throughout the country my deep appreciation of their patriotic spirit, m offering their services for the work which I invited them to perform. * When the circular letter on substitution volunteers was issued last April to the chairmen of local authorities in England, Scotland, and it was expected that a large number of vacancies would shortly be created in munition works, mines, railways, and other there were a number of occupations and that very special efforts would have •to be made by the department to find suitable substitutes to fill these vacancies. In certain trades trade committees were set up to obtain substitutes from among the members of the trade; but it was pointed out in the circular that Ithere were a number of accupations not covered by these trades, and it was announced that National Service Committees would be entrusted with the important duty of finding substitutes from among these occupation ß . The response to the circular has been extremely, satisfactory. No fewer than 1028 National Service Committees have been formed, and man;/ letters have been received by the department show- . ing their readiness to carry out any duties allotted to them. In face of their eagerness to help the country, I feel it is due to the. committees to explain to them why they have not been furnished with lists of vacancies to be filled. Explanation is not far to seek: Owing to circumstances into which I need not enter, but which were quite beyond the control of this department, it has not been found possible to release the expected numbers of men for the army, and accordingly the expected vacancies have not been created. In addition to this, it was decided that such vacancies as did occur should be s'ubmited first of all to employment _ exchanges, and 'consequently V-itu'ationis. to be filled bv substitution volunteers were only such as it had already been found impossible to deal with by that organisation. Although the work for which the National Service Committees were created' has not hitherto materialised, it is possible that other call,s may, be made upon them. In any case. I am sure they will readily fall 'in with whatever arrangements may be made by my successor' in the national interests.