THE CONTROL OF MANPOWER

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25030, 21 October 1944, Page 10

THE CONTROL OF MANPOWER

WOOLLEN MILL OWNERS' ATTITUDE MR BOCKETT'S STATEMENTS CHALLENGED

The New Zealand Woollen Mill Owners' Association's resolution to the Minister of Supply calls for the immediate revision of the Industrial Manpower Emergency Regulations and the methods of administration, particularly concerning Industrial Manpower Appeal Committees. Mr H. L. Bockett, Controller of Manpower. has again indulged in a lengthy explanation, the tenor of which would indicate that the woollen mill owners now desire to recede from or in some way change their contentions; but the association desires to inform Mr Bockett that it is he, and not the association, who has broken fresh ground and made excursions into new spheres. The association does not consider that it is indebted in any way to the department controlled by Mr Bockett for its position, and a survey of the association's performance, in the matter of supplies to the services and to the civil community up to the introduction of the Industrial Manpower Emergency BeguIqtions, should prove beyond doubt the foregoing contention. Since these regulations became law, however, the efficiency of the association's mills is steadily diminishing and, in the opinion of the members, it would he extremely regrettable,if the industry had to face the peace encased in such a strait jacket. To emphasise its views, the association submits facts about some of the service lines and quantities manufactured by the industry when it was free to make its own arrangements and mould its own destiny—that is. up to the period of the introduction of the regulations in October, 1042. This is table A : — Blankets . . .. 478.064 pairs Flannel materials .. 2.455.tw0 yards Socks and stockings .. 2,1 ti1,745 pairs Vests .. .. .. 704,604 Shorts . . ... 706,488 G reatcoatinor .. .. 1,142,706 yards Tunic cloth 2,577,824 yards Jerseys .. .. .. 387.311 Pullovers .. . . 10,280 Table B states the different quantities of the same lines that have been manufactured since: Blankets .. .. 238,532 pairs Flannel . . .. Nil Socks and stockinga .. 1,066,452 pairs Vests 457,930 Shorts .. .. .. 404,075 (Jreatcoatincc .. .. 520,103 yards Tunic cloths .. .. 1,220.316 yards Jerseys .. .. .. 105,103 Pullovers . . .. .. Nil Admittedly there are two years of the controlled period and three years of the uncontrolled period; but in the first year the war quantities were not so large. However, appropriate deduction could be made on account of this, and it still leaves a very substantia] balance in favour of the uncontrolled years. Demands of Services

Now, it may he said of course that there are other factors entering into this matter, and we will admit there may be; hut there r> one factor that should not lie lost sight of. In a report. dated May 26. 1912. on woollen mill production, submitted to the Director of Production by an investigating officer of the Industries and Commerce Department, this passage appears: "There is no limit imposed by the services—in other words, whatever the mills could produce would not be enough.'' Being confronted with this position, a demand was then made on the association for 100 per cent output of military goods from each of its members. This was afterwards reduced to "82 per cent. Up to that stage civil requirements had also been reasonably met; since then there would appear to have been increasing difficulty in meeting the civil position. Also, from a survey of the industry at that time, as it concerned members of the Woollen .Mill Owners Association—that is. the 12 mills in the Dominion together with their attendant hosiery factories—there would appear to have been a total number employed of 43iK). This does not include process knitters who are not interested in woollen mills, and from details available but not collated within the time available the number in the industry would probably be a good deal less toA \lr Boekett has made reference to the munificent job his department has done in subsidising wages, and suggests that the last analysis showed 142 payments then made to females in the woollen and knitting mills. A tally taken today under this heading reveals the fact that in the mills above referred to in the association there arc 28 known cases. This represents just over i per cent of the 1942 total. Further, out of the 28. six women recently acting as tramway conductors and receiving men's wages have been directed to one mill, and the Government is making up the difference in their wages. Therefore Mr Boekett might inform us whether the 142 payments he refers to are the total payments made since the inception of the regulations, because we suggest the impression conveyed was that this covered a very big sum and was a matter of considerable importance, and. again, something that the industry should be grateful for. Stabilisation of Industry At this stage, perhaps, it may he interesting to record that the woollen industry was stabilised in March. 1940

,,ot 1942 (is was common to many other Dominion activities—therefore anything in the nature of increases in production costs since, except for one adjustment for wool when it came under control, has had to he borne by the units of the industry, so it will he noted that the position that has developed whereby subsidising wages of transferred workers is concerned becomes a matter of Government policy and not a mutter calling for the industry to raise its hat to Mr Bockett as he passes by! Now that Mr Bockett has touched on utilisation councils, let us remind him that wc did not raise this issue, but that our association reached decisions in this matter which we have stood by; and if Mr Bockett will just refer to some other article on the subject of Manpower Utilisation Councils, apart from his eyclostyled statement, we would like to refer him to the article in the Standard of March 19, KM2. It will he noticed that this appeared just a few weeks prior to the date Mr Bockett refers to. We regret that space does not permit that the nrticle he now.quoted; suffice it to say that the woollen mill owners could not accept these definitions as to the functions of the Manpower Utilisation Councils with equanimity. While on this subject Mr Bockett might he referred to a publication ''Works Councils in New Zealand." by A. K. C. Hare, apparently the authority on the subject, who is associated with Victoria University College. The opening paragraph of chapter 3 is interesting. It is as follows: