MANPOWER

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 January 1942, Page 6

MANPOWER

POSITION IN NEW ZEALAND URGENT CRISIS REACHED. PROPOSALS FOR BETTER UTILISATION. , (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. New Zealand was stated to have reached an urgent crisis in regard to manpower by the Minister of Supply, Mr Sullivan, in Wellington last night. He said the Government had under consideration certain proposals for the better utilisation of manpower in order to secure the utmost production of essential items. Everybody would have to make their contribution. An announcement would be made very soon. “Everyone worth while in New Zealand welcomes the opportunity to serve his or her country in whatever capacity he or she can do so,” said the Minister. “Everyone cannot serve in the armed forces overseas, where our soldiers, sailors and airmen are performing such magnificent feats. Everyone cannot engage in the actual fighting. But there is a job for everyone, and an opportunity to serve.” Mr Sullivan said that nearly 12,000 men and women were already engaged in factories and engineering establishments in this country, directly engaged on the production of war materials. Tanneries, footwear factories, clothing factories, woollen mills, foundries, machine-shops, biscuit factories, and food-canning plants were producing ever-increasing quantities of goods for our troops both here and overseas. Composite and steel minesweepers, so essential to the protection of our sea-ways, were being built, and several had already been launched. Hundreds of thousands of yards of khaki cloth, air force cloth and flannel had been produced by our woollen mills, and tens of thousands of pairs of blankets, huge quantities of underwear, socks, hats, boots and shoes had been made. The quantity was increasing daily. Engineering firms were engaged on the production of armoured vehicles, trench mortars, machinegun carriers, fire pumps, linen-flax machinery (the flax being required to make aeroplanes for Britain), mortar bombs, hand grenades, small arms ammunition, steel helmets, ammunition carriers, water bottles, and a score of other items.