MANPOWER BILL

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24141, 6 December 1941, Page 12

MANPOWER BILL

J AMENDMENT DEFEATED ATTITUDE OF LABOUR I BEVIN ANSWERS CRITICS PROBLEMS TACKLED J, By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright |fe ' • LONDON. Dec. 4 An amendment tabled by 31 [Labour members in the Houso of Commons debate -on manpower was mqved by Mr, G. Daggar to the effect that, in order to secure the full utilisation of national resources If in the war effort, it was essential | that .industries vital to the successf| ful prosecution of the war, and : » especially transport, coal mining and I the manufacture of munitions, 1/ should bs brought under public ownership and cohtrol, and that the necessary legislation should be brought in as soon as possible. The amendment was rejected by 336 votes to 40. || Tho Minister of Labour, Mr. Ernest I, Bevin, winding up the debate, replied I to criticisms made during the debate. I Concerning tli6 amendment, ho said I the Government had been working on. f problems associated with transport for I a considerable time. He claimed the I change made by the new railway agreeI inent and altered railway administra--1 tion had produced' very good results. | The distribution of coal and other i' materials also was far better now than at any time since the outbreak of war. Exaggerated Claims 1 Turning to the problem of registraI tion for national service, Mr. Bevin ! said that under the military service I side of the Act his-department had to deal with the registration of 6,850,000 * persons. Total registration had involved | 17,000,000 poople. ' Allegations made'during the debate about men "standing about" in factories and about, absenteeism were • greatly exaggerated. As a result of the essential work order, the time of the turn-around of ships had been reduced by nearly two and a-half days a ship. On an average that equalled nearly 1,500,000 tons of shipping. ' " Party Meeting Held Mr. * Bevin then, claimed that the f Government had done a great deal to improve conditions of work for the people. There had been a great development in welfare organisations, lor those engaged in munitions, canteens were coming into operation at the rate of 100 a month, while 85 per cent of the factories employing-200 persons and i over had canteens of their own. i At a special private meeting of about ? 100 , members of the Labour Parliamentary Party previously, Mr. C. RAttlee, leader of the party, appealed in the strongest possible terms for support for the Government's motion. He said a vote for the amendment would be a vote against the Government. The meeting decided to support the motion. It is- understood that over a quarter of the meeting voted in favour of the amendment, and there were a lot of abstentions. A .further meeting will be held to consider Mr. Bevin's statement YOUTHS' HIGH WAGES .. FUTURE TROUBLE FORESEEN FEWER. STAY AT SCHOOL fßecd. 10.40 p.m.) LONDON. Dec. 4, The Chief Constable of Oxford, Mr T. E. S. Johnston, in a letter to the Times, says the police are'worried about the future effect Of the present high wages tor juveniles. Many aged between 16 and 19 aTe earning from £3 to £6 a week who in peacetime would consider I £1 a week a good wage. Increased wages have not led to an increase in juvenile crime, but when the days of peace, unemployment and pre-war wages return a serious increase in serious offences, petty,crime and gambling may be expected. THe London County Council's education committee blamed tho high wages / paid to young persons for the decline in the number of secondary school pupils. Members suggested that the Education Board should be asked to see whether tho disastrous effects of high wages could be overcome. One membersuggested that young persons probably felt they were serving their country better by working - than by going to school. ASSISTANCE PACT RUSSIA AND POLAND DECLARATION SIGNED (RecdL 9.40 p.m.) . -MOSCOW. Dec. « M. Stalin and the Polish leader, General Sikorski, yesterday signed a de- * claration of friendship and mutual assistance. The declaration says that the Russian and Polish Governments undertake to render < each other full military assistance ;and to continue the . war until complete victory and the final destruction of the German invaders. After the victorious conclusion of the war and appropriate punishment of the Hitlerite criminals, the declaration ] adcls, the Allies must ensure a durable and just peace, which can only be j achieved through a new organisation of i international relations based on the uni- ] fication of the democratic countries and j a* durable alliance. ] Respect for international law, it says, ( should be maintained by collective armed force. Only Alius can Europe bo restored and a guarantee provided that j the disaster brought about by Hitler j and his followers will never be re- y peated. The declaration says that German Hitlerite imperialism is mankind's worst enemy, with which no compromise is possible. .. VISIT TO PORTSMOUTH KING AND QUEEN WITH NAVY (Reed. 6.5 p.m.) , LONDON, Dec. 4 f The King and Queen visited naval j establishments at Portsmouth and met . men of the British and Allied Navies , whose ships were in port, savs a British official wireless message. Ihey saw a l demonstration of street fighting by men s of the Royal Navy/and Royal Marines, t Their Majesties, who were received s by Admiral. Sir Edward James, Com- j mander-in-Chief at Portsmouth, were r given an enthusiastic reception by dockyard workers, many of whom were c women. They Free French sailors, \ a Yugoslav lieutenant-commander who ( is undergoing a course, and a party of £ American naval men.