LAND ARMY RECRUITING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25364, 23 October 1943, Page 6

LAND ARMY RECRUITING

EFFECT on manufacturers PROVISION FOR APPEALS (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Oct. 22. As a guard against essential industry being adversely affected by recruiting for the Women’s Land Army, provision is being made for the employers of girls enlisting to have the right of appeal where recruits are already in an essential industry. This announcement was made by Mr D. I. Macdonald, secretary of the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Federation, addressing a meeting of the Garment Manufacturers’ Association last night.

Mr Macdonald stressed that the principal reason why certain types of civilian goods were in short supply was because there was still a shortage of man-power, and it was considered that land girls should be drawn from the non-industrial areas where they had had closer contact with farm life and where their homes were more likely to be nearer their work. The provision of special uniforms and other equipment for land girls, it was felt, would also increase the difficulties of meeting essential civilian requirements, Mr Macdonald said. The federation’s view had been explained to the Government and advice had been received that the National Service Department was making arrangements for manufacturers and others to have the right of appeal to the manpower committees. It was understood that this procedure wuold come into operation immediately, and no doubt full information'would be made available by the National Service Department.