PRIORITY FOR SAWMILLS

Southland Times, Issue 25548, 16 December 1944, Page 6

PRIORITY FOR SAWMILLS

LABOUR RESOURCES “The sawmill industry takes Al priority over all other industries m the direction of manpower,” stated the district manpower officer, Mr A. J. Peterson, during the hearing of an appeal before the Industrial Manpower Committee yesterday. The War Cabine had given instruction to that effect, he said. There was an acute shortage ot men for sawmills in Southland and men could be directed to this work even it they had had little experience. _ Mr Peterson’s statement was made in reply to Mr J. R. Hanan, representing an appellant, who asked whether the manpower officer preferred to take a skilled farmhand away from his work and use him as an unskilled bushman. The chairman (Mr M. W. Grantham) stated that the appellant had peen released from the Air Force on indefinite leave and so was under the jurisdiction of the manpower officer, but he had found employment on his own so that he had committed a breach ot the regulations. Mr Hanan asked if the committee refused to hear any evidence that the man was more profitably employed on a farm than at a sawmill. Mr Grantham said that that was not the point. These were not the grounds of the appeal, and, besides, the appellant had no right to be in his present employment. , , Mr H. H. Gillard, a member ot the committee, said the best thing counsel could do was to bring evidence to show that the appellant was a competent farm hand before he joined the Air Force The appellant should have asked’ for a stay of proceedings when he was first directed to the sawmill, giving notice of appeal, and temporary employment could have been given him.