GIGANTIC TASK

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9631, 11 April 1917, Page 6

GIGANTIC TASK

STATE SERVICE VAST ORGANISATION' IN GREAT BRITAIN. An important departmental conference —one of a series—on the subject of National Service took place in London towards the end of February. Mr Neville Chamberlain, who was present, has for some time past realised that one of the pressing needs of the moment is closer co-ordination in this matter between the various Government departments, and quite recent events have confirmed that impression.

Particularly in the matter of women’s service (says the ‘‘Daily News”) it is imperative tnat something should bo done to remedy a state of things which threatens to impair the proper conservation of our national resources. For example, the Departments of War, Munitions, and Agriculture all have important schemes for the employment of women either launched or shortly to bo launched. The Ministry for Munitions has not yet completed its tale of 80,000 women wanted for shell filling; the first call by the Board of Agriculture, through the Director of National Service, for a Women’s Land Army of 100,000 is due in a few days; and there has just been a premature disclosure of the AVar Office’s plan to create a Women’s Army Corps for service abroad. CONFLICTING CLAIMS. Competition is naturally keen, and the exercise of firmness is necessary to prevent any one branch of the public service either consciously or uuconsciously “crabbing” the position of any other branch. Both Mr Chamberlain and Mrs Tennant (as head of the women’s section) are engaged in devising a machine for bringing these conflicting claims into harmony. One of the peculiar dangers is that tße attractions offered by competing departments may lead to a sort of ''general piost,” and the consequent loss of much valuable energy. Here again there is obviously room for closer co-ordination, with the object of preventing anything like poaching. Nor must volunteers under any of the forthcoming schemes be surprised to find that they are requested to bind themselves not to change their employment without special permission from the StateThe office of Director-General of National Service has now been in existence for just over two months, and there are those who find fault with its chief for having comparatively little to show in public as the result of his labours. Such critics would do well to try to realise the vastness of tho task he has undertaken. As a small example, it may be mentioned that the number of females in Great Britain who are not in any definite employment outside domestic work is estimated at between fourteen and fifteen millions. A large proportion of these are, of course, over or under working age, and the number to whom a “national service” appeal might reasonably be addressed may bo roughly cut down to, say, one-half, or from seven to seven and a half millions. PRODIGIOUS PROBLEM.

Tlida figure was mentioned recently when it was suggested that the women of the country should he individually appealed to bv circular letter. Both the cost and the labour involved were at once seen to be prodigious, and for the moment at any rate the idea got no further. There is reason to believe, indeed, that the whole problem of the "scientific organisation” of the nation under present conditions is proving rather overwhelming to those mainly responsible for carrying it out. All the more on that account the public should be very patient. One thing is certain—that the serious difficulties now being encountered are showing moro clearly than, could anything else how almost insuperable would be the obstacles to any coherent system of compulsion for civilians. '