MAN POWER IN FRANCE

Taranaki Daily News, 17 July 1929, Page 5

MAN POWER IN FRANCE

SHORTAGE OF LABOUR. While neighbouring countries are ent* banassed by unemployment, France is handicapped by a shortage of labour Even with the influx of foreign labour the position is .such that in some quarters it is suggested that the large public and semi-public works in prospect should be arranged in some sort of programme so as to make use. of tha labour available to the best national ad-, vantage. One of the most serious aspects of the problem is the drastic diminution ill the number of boys and adolescents from, whom industry, in normal times, naturally recruits its share of workmen. Th® reduction in the birth-rate during tha war years is now beginning to produce its maximum effect. For its recruits coming directly from the elementary schools industry is dependent on tha children born in the first years of thf war, so that this year and in the years immediately succeeding the trades which employ a large proportion of young peo--pie will meet great inconvenience. Another labour difficulty at the moment arises indirectly from the diminution of the period of military service. This measure, in the first instance, will permit young men to remain available for industrial employment for some months during which they would, previously have been in military training. In order, however, to render possible the reduction of the period of army service, the military authorities have instituted a system by which certain non-combatant and administrative work connected with the army will be performed, not by soldiers, but by organisations voluntarily recruited from among the civil popu* lation. Moro than 10,000 men will, it is stated, be ultimately recruited for this purpose, and young men just re*, turned from the army are said to b® attracted in many cases by these nevj jobs, to the loss of ordinary industry* /