MAN POWER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23946, 23 October 1939, Page 8

MAN POWER

MAINTAINING ESSENTIAL INDUSTRY CENTRAL COMMITTEE APPOINTED cPeb United Press Association; WELLINGTON, Oct. 21. In a statement to-day, the Acting Prime Minister (Mr W Nash) announced the decision of the Government that all questions relating to manpower should be placed under the direct jurisdiction of one Minister. Mr P. C. Webb will have control of this important part of the Dominion's war activities, and associated with him will be a central council, consisting of one employers’ and one labour representative from each of the three councils appointed by the Government, viz., the Primary Production Council, the Factory Production Council, and the Industrial Emergency Council. The council will also include one senior officer, representing the armed forces. The personnel will consist of men with wide experience in sheep and dairy farming, manufacturing, secondary industries, and the labour problems related thereto. The council’s genera] functions will be to inquire into and report upon all matters affecting the utilisation of the manpower of the Dominion in order efficiently to maintain essential services and production, and to bring about the greatest effort to expand our resources t.n the full. The organisation will also provide valuable co-ordinating machinery for the other three councils, and will avoid entirely any overlapping that might occur. Mr Nash says the Government does not desire to create new departmental machinery at this stage, and will utilise to the full the existing departments with suitable organisation for the work