GRADE A MEN

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24832, 2 March 1944, Page 4

GRADE A MEN

39,014 IN INDUSTRY FORCES TAKE 189,000 109,000 SENT OVERSEAS (S.R.) WELLINGTON. Wednesday Figures showing the number of A grade men held in industry in New Zealand were given by Mr. P. G. Connolly (Government —Dunedin West) in opening the Address-in-Reply debate in the House of Representatives to-night. He said there were 10,391 single men and 28,023 married men in this category. As against this number of single men. held in industry it should be remembered that 75,000 single men had joined the forces. From a recent survey it did not appear possible for many of these 39,014 men to be released for service in the armed forces, for it was essential that they bo retained at the work they were at present doing. Mr. Connolly said a good deal had been said in recent mouths about fit men being held in industry, but this had been done because it was necessary to maintain the industrial life .of the country. Comparisons With Last War Details offjthe A grade fit men held in industry included the following:— Farming, 4634 single, 7928 married; mining and sawmilling, 1106 single, 2108 married: building construction, 105 single, 1726 married; transport and communications, 1397 single, 5283 married; food processing, 573 single, 2810 married: mental and other institutions, 774 single, 2582 married; other secondary industries, 424 single, 1973 married; commercial and professional, 155 single, 1602 married; police and clergy, 1223 single, 2601 married. Comparisons between this war and the last war were also given by Mr. Connolly. He said that at the start of the last war New Zealand had a population of 1,100,000, and at the beginning of this war it was 1,630,000. The number of mGn mobilised for this war was 189.000, and in the last war the figure was 124,000. The percentage of mobilisations to the population was 11.6 for this war and 11.3 for the Inst war. Different Circumstances New Zealand had sent overseas for this war 109,000 men and for the last war 100,788, and the percentage of personnel overseas to population was 6.7 for this war and 9.1 for the last war. There was this time, however, a completely different set of circumstances, and in the last war there was no invasion threat to New Zealand. New Zealand, in common with all the nations engaged in the war, had a manpower problem. "If wG did not have one we would not be doing otir job as a partner in the United Nations." added Mr. Connolly.

The Government", he continued, had never made the manpower question a political issue and had constantly taken the advice of people in all walks of life. No matter what Government had been in office there could have been no alternative to the action taken by the present Government when this country was threatened with invasion immediately following the entry of Japan into the war.

ASSAULT SUSPECTED TAXI-DRIVER INJURED INVESTIGATIONS BY POLICE Believed to have been the victim of an assault, a taxi-driver, Mr. Sydney James Rollinson, aged 28, of 22 Pencarrow Avenue, Mount Eden, was admitted to the Auckland Hospital early yesterday morning suffering from concussion and multiple contusions on the face. Police inquiries are being made, but Mr. Rollinson has been able to give little assistance, as he cannot remember what happened to him. After he had suffered the inluries, Mr. Rollinson was noticed driving slowly along Walmsley Road, Otahuliu, by a cyclist. He called to the cyclist, who drove him to the Otahuliu police station. Mr. Rollinson's condition last night was not serious. RACEHORSE TRANSPORT DISCUSSION OF PROBLEM QUESTIONNAIRE TO CLUBS (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday Having convinced themselves that there is no prospect whatever of a letup on the coal and petrol situation as affecting the transport of racehorses, the presidents of the Racing and Trotting Conferences, Mr. H. R. Chalmers, of Wellington, and Mr. El. F. Nicol, of Christchurch, met at an informal conference in Wellington to-day to discuss the future of the two sports. Breeders, owners and trainers were represented at the meeting, which decided to request all clubs to inform their respective conferences within a week whether they proposed to carry on with their race meetings as scheduled and whether it was possible to do so on their own courses. When the replies are received a programme for the balance of the season will be drawn up for submission to the Minister for his approval.

£IO,OOO CLUB SCHEME WAIKATO EX-SERVICEMEN (0.C.) HAMILTON, Wednesday A decision made two vears ago to establish a returned servicemen's club in Hamilton was confirmed at a special general meeting of the NVaikato Returned Services Association to-night. The question of purchasing a twostoreyed building in Victoria Street, now occupied as business premises, and equipping it as a club at a total cost of £IO,OOO was discussed. By 43 votes to 9 it was resolved to instruct the secretary to apply to the owner of the building for a six months' option. The president, Mr. A. L. Fow, said he anticipated there would be no difficulty in raising the money required by making an appeal to the public.

I TEACHER ASSAULTED . WOMAN SENT TO GAOL (P.A.) HAWERA, Wednesday "If this sort of behaviour is tolerated there will not be a schoolteacher in tlio whole Dominion who will be safe fro in attack from a certain class of people," said Mr. J. H. Salmon, S.M., when he sentenced Rut.ua Boyland to 14 days' imprisonmont on each of two charges of assaulting Mary Joan Jnrvis, at Otnkeho on December 15 and using indecent language. The sentences are to bo concurrent. The police said Miss Jnrvis was approached at the Otakel 10 post office by Boyland and accused of ill-treating a child. Boyland caught liold of Miss Jnrvis by the hair and struck her on the head with her hand. She also used bad language. Miss Jnrvis donied the allegations of ill-treatment and told Boyland that if she had any complaint slio should see the headmaster. "This, is a very gross assault on n schoolmistress out of school hours and in a public place and the use of very filthy langauge," the magistrate commented. "Not only have I to consider tlio_ public, but the whole of the education system of this country." DEATH ON BOWLING GREEN A member of the Mount. Eden Bowling Club, Mr. Cecil R. Heycock, collapsed on the club's green yesterday and died almost immediately. Mr. Hevcock, who > was aged about" 73. was'"a retired mining engineer and had resideded for a number of yeans at 85 Esplanade Bond, Mount Eden. Be is surrived by his wife. I