SUPPLY OF MAN-POWER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24911, 9 May 1942, Page 4

SUPPLY OF MAN-POWER

CLAIMS OF WAR AND INDUSTRY

PROBLEM FOR WAR CABINET (F.0.P.R.) WELLINGTON, May ». The hope that a report on the manpower position would be presented in the House of Representatives to-mor-row was expressed by the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, when he spoke on the Finance Bill to-day. Mr Fraser said that the man-power problem reflected the severity of the war situation. The problem confronting the War Cabinet, the Prime Minister said. Was One of maintaining. the efficiency of war and allied, industries, and of providing inen for the;' defence of the. country. The country could not have man-power at the ordinary scale for industry and sufficient men for Armed Forces at the same time. He thought there would be unanimity that if the Dominion was to defend itself it, must be prepared to give the last drop of blood of all who could serve. At the same time the efficiency of industry necessary to the war effort must be Mr J A. Lee' (Democratic 'Labour, Grey Lyhh) ::. We must compromise-be-tween the demands of war industry and the Armed Forces, , The Prime Minister;; Yes. The War Cabinet is considering, this question all the time. Every new weapon that comes into the country means more men to use it. Speaking of the financing of the war, the Prime Minister said the banks had been instructed to keep a firm control over money. If’it was not controlled it meant inflation, and that must be resisted. Concerning industry, he said that the present was no time for experimental business enterprise, but ;it was-the national -job to expand the war industries, and Government assistance Was forthcoming where essential industries-needed financial aid. Nonessential 1 ; itidustri.es were a handicap to the, war effort. < v Mr, te*e: some we could do without. ,■ The Prime; Minister: Yes. We are examining the position now, but we must -be fair in what we do.

. Elaborating the point concerning financial aid to war industry, the Prime Minister explained that it was not a question of the Government stepping in and running assisted industries that it did not know anything about. Its duty was to help people who were running businesses and assist them with new machinery and' in other necessary ways. •; Mr F. W. Doidge (Opposition, Tauranga); The principle was established in the Rehabilitation Bill, last year. Mr Fraser: That is so. It is goods for defence that we are after. He did not think that the country’s resources were being taxed to the limit, and the Government’s policy was to get its war finance without crippling industry. “The aim is to pay for the war as we go as far as possible.” he said, “ but I am not going to worry if future generations have to pay something of the cost of what we are -fighting for, because we are fighting for the security of future generations as well as of our own.”