DEPLETION OF STAFFS

Southland Times, Issue 23948, 14 October 1939, Page 6

DEPLETION OF STAFFS

ENLISTMENTS FOR SERVICE ROUTINE WORK NOT MUCH AFFECTED With the exception of the Southland Electric Power Supply the staffs of public and private organizations in Invercargill have not been greatly depleted by the enlistments of the past few weeks. It is possible, however, if more recruits are required for the special military force that business firms and Government and local body institutions will feel the effects of staff disorganization and will require relief labour to be able to carry out routine Overtime and the apportionment of extra work for the staff have been adopted by the Southland Electric Power Supply to cope with the disorganization of its staffs because of enlistments. About 30 men have been accepted from the staffs of this service. The department which has suffered most is the linesmen’s branch. Nine men from each of the district line gangs have been accepted for military service and the work is being carried on at present with what amount to skeleton staffs. “We are doing the best we can in the circumstances,” said the District Electrical Engineer (Mr W. H. Gregory) yesterday. “The enlistments have affected us greatly and we are afraid the position may become worse. Men have been accepted from the workships, the drafting office, the stores department and the general office, and all round we have been fairly badly hit.” Mr Gregory said that certain men could not immediately be replaced and in the meantime they were getting over the difficulty by apportioning extra work to the staff and by working overtime. the teaching service The Southland Education Board has not been affected by enlistments of male teachers. There are 170 male members of the teaching staffs of primary schools in Southland, but none has gone into camp yet. The board will meet the position of depleted staffs when it arises; in the meantime it has not had to act in the matter of replacements. It is not expected that difficulty will be experienced in filling vacancies. The Railways Department with its many staffs has not felt the enlistments. Not more than 12 railwaymen have been accepted for military service so far and the staffs are able to carry on as usual. The enlistments have not interfered with routine work. At the City Council the position is much the same as in the Railways Department. Ten men from the various corporation services have been accepted; their positions are being kept open for them, and in the meantime where necessary temporary labour has been engaged. The routine work of the council has not been affected by the enlistments.

Business firms have not felt the pinch. In some cases the depletion of staffs by enlistments has spared the management the necessity of reducing the size of staffs because of a falling off in business.