WORK OUTLINED

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23258, 20 July 1945, Page 2

WORK OUTLINED

National Service Department Wide Scope Of Activity I "That die peopie of New Zealand appreciated both the general necessity 1 and the merits of the individual restrictions affecting them and gave a ready and willing response to control I I mi-asuns." said the District Manpower Ollic-i.-r < ,’,-Ir E. R. Winkel) 111 an address [ on the functions of the National Ser- 1 ■ vice Department to the South Canter- ! bury Regional Planning Council yes- j terday afternoon, “is shown by the | fact that only 2 per cent of more than I 500.000 cases were the subject of | appeals against direction to essential : work, and ol that 2 per cent fewer than half were successful.” It was obvious that national develop- ! ment was dependent upon a number of i factors, not the least important of I which was manpower, Mr Winkel continued. The National Service Emerg- I ency Regulations introduced shortly after the outbreak of war required an '- administration to handle registrations I for military service, ballots, appeals | and the control of conscientious ob- ! lectors and military defaulters. Since I mobilisation was closely linked with ' problems of labour readjustments and 1 employment generally and required a i dislrii-l oraanisation. Hie administration of . the National Service Emergency i Regulations was linked with the existing Employment Divi ion of Hie Labour i Department, and this conjoint adminis- I tration became the National Service I Department. As the war progressed it became necessary to introduce various controls I over the disposition and movement of i the country's industrial manpower , resources. The administration of these 1 controls, then, logically fell to the | National Service Department, which from then on operated in two main Divisions. These were: (1) A National i Service Division dealing with matters ! under the National Service Emergency I Regulations; (2) a Manpower Division I dealing with matters under the In- I dustrial Manpower Emergency Regulations. and with employment matters generally. More recently a Servicemen's Employment Division of the Department had been set up to place its various employment facilities at the disposal of servicemen. Sudden Mobilisation Mr Winkel recalled that the Manpower Regulations were not introduced until after the entry of Japan into the war, with the resultant and sudden mobilisation of many thousands of men. Included among these were the older men in the National Military Reserve, I many of whom held important positions in industry. By September, 1942, no fewer than 164.000 persons had been withdrawn from industry for service with the Armed Forces, while more than 250,000 were serving part time in the E.P.S. and Home Guard. The withdrawal of this large number from industry was in itself a serious matter when it was borne in mind that the men thus withdrawn were themselves dependent upon the industries they had left, to feed, clothe, and equip them. “The entry of Japan into the war, coinciding- with the German envelopment of Europe,” Mr Winkel continued, “cut off many sources of vital supplies, particularly food. Simultaneously, the entry of the United Nations ~ Forces into the Pacific area created special new demands for food, equipment, and shipping facilities. These factors changed the whole emphasis of our war effort. While the German threat in the Middle East 1 did not allow of any diminution of , our Forces there, we had nevertheless I to meet the increased demands made upon our industries. Initially', the need for New Zealand Forces in the Pacific and on home defence, greatly limited the extent to which our industries could respond, but as soon as circumstances permitted, we commenced to switch personnel from the Pacific combat and defence units back to industry. “At one stage, the necessity for Increased food production was so great that an entire division was withdrawn from service in the Pacific, and the majority of the men placed in high priority' industries best Suited to their individual employment qualifications. Of a. total of 65,000 released from the Armed Forces by the action of the National Service Department (and this figure excludes, for example, men returned from the Middle East) some 21.500 were placed on farms, 8000 in food processing firms, and 6000 in the building industry. The remainder were distributed over a wide range of industries. “It will be seen that only by emergency measures such as were taken was it possible to meet production demands. Failure to control manpower would have resulted in a flow of available labour from lower-paid to higherpaid industries regardless of the national value of the respective industries. The measures adopted were similar to those already in force in Britain and other countries nearer than New Zealand to the front line. Throughout the period of manpower control, the Department has relied upon co-operation with both sides in industry as its main instrument for securing effective results. Manpower Co-ordination - “Some indication of the part played by the Department in the co-ordina-I lion of manpower is given by the figures up to the end of April last (1945):—Directions Issued totalled 173,000, applications to terminate employment 238,000. cases of industrial absenteeism reported 44,000 (fines imposed 7000). applications to enagage labour in those areas subject to restriction 106.000. This represents a total of more than 550.000 written decisions given by' manpower officers, every decision being subject to appeal to an independent tribunal.” Officers of the National Service Department did not claim to have specialised knowledge of the Industries with which they had to deal, Mr Winkel explained. The principle of consulting the industries concerned had always been followed. National policy was decided upon after consultation with advisory bodies, known as utilisation councils, representative of employers and workers engaged in the particular industry. Local utilisation committees in the various districts advised manpower officers and appeal boards of Hie particular needs and i priorities of their respective industries. Much valuable work had been done bv these committees in bringing employer and worker together, not for I the purpose of debating conflicting but to co-operate in maintaining the maximum production for war purposes. These committees had been asked to assist in rehabilitation measures, and it was to be hoped that they would continue to function long alter the Manpower Regulations have been repealed. “Ni ierthcle: s,” Mr Winkel conclu “as far as manpower is concerned, (lie time is coming when industry will be required to stand on its own feet. Cooperation and co-ordination must take the place of compulsion, and the National Service Department is endeavouring as tar as circumstances permit to put that policy into effect How far the Organisation for National Development, the National Service Department, and other organisations and mdii;-tries <•oll(■orll^■ > l witii rehabilitation' and industrial development will succeed will verv largely depend on Hie extent to which wholehearted cooperation is made the keystone of our