SPECIAL MISSION

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 202, 27 August 1943, Page 3

SPECIAL MISSION

UNDER-SECRETARY FOR WAR FROM U.S.A. AMAZING FIGURES OF ARMS PRODUCTION (Special Australian Correspondent.) Recd. 7 p.m. Sydney, Aug. 26. The Unioed States did not regard the war in the south Pacific as a sideshow, said Mr. R. G. Patterson, United States Under-Secretary for War. Mr. Patterson and the director of production in the office of the United States Secretary for War, Lieutenant General Knudsen, yesterday arrived in Australia at the head of a special mission to the south and south-west Pacific command areas. In a statement, Mr. Patterson promised early, powerful blows against the Japanese and released staggering new figures of American war production. Of the United States growing army, now numbered at 7.000,000, more than 2,000,000 were already serving overseas, said Mr. Patterson. Since the beginning of the war the United States had produced more than 100,000 planes and was now turning them out at the rate of better than 7000 a month. The monthly production of artillery ammunition was 18,000,000 rounds and of small arms ammunition 1.700,000,' 000 rounds. The United States was producing 66,000 machine-guns, 2500 field guns of 75 millimetre calibre per month. Mr. Patterson added that he expected to have a conference with General MacArthur and with Australian military and Government leaders. The mission was welcomed by the commanding officer of the United State 1 Sixth Army, General Krueger, and other high ranking Allied naval, army and air force officers. The mission includes Major-General Leroy Lutes, director of operations services of supply, Washington; BrigadierGeneral Boykin Wright, of the international. division services of supply; Colonel Stanley Grogan, deputy-direc-tor of the War Department, bureau of public relations; Colonel Carl Silverhome, of the War Department general staff; Major Andrew Goodwin, of the office of the Under-Secretary of war; Mr. Julius Amberg, special assistant to the Secretary of War.

POST-WAR PERIOD

EMPLOYMENT AND BUSINESS (P.A.) Auckland, Aug. 25. The re-employment of returned soldiers and the employment, of present staffs in the Tmmediate post-war period will present a real problem unless assistance or relief is given to industry. said Mr. W. J. Truscott, chairman of Radio, Limited, who is also president of the Auckland Manufacturers’ Association, in addressing the annual meeting of the company today. He declared that soldiers should be provided with the opportunity of going back immediately info the industries and occupations they left. Later, when the men had settled down, would be time enough for new occupations and investment. In that way, he said, much loss and many disappointments would be avoided. If manufacturers were short of essential materials, were using overworked or obsolete machinery, and had expended the whole of tli.’ir earnings on wages, taxation, etc., I heir employment capacity would be affected. them when he took charge of the Public Works Department. He found it full of individuals who had been living on the dole for four years and had forgotten how to work. Mr Doidge asked if the Government would apply to itself the provisions in thr Bill- that a worker must not be victimised because of participation in union activities. Would it apply this rule in the case of the Railways Department and the Post and Telegraph Department? he asked. Mr. Goosman claimed that the provisions of the Bill were the effect of years of old grudges. There may have been a necessity for the Bill years ago, but those'days were gone and there was no need now. Mr. Fraser said he could not understand what all the clamour against the Bill was about. What it proposed was fair, and it only carried out the intentions of the founders of the Arbitration Court. Il would result in more speedy justice and if employers and employees got together they could satisfactorily settle the matter of claims made by employers. The first division on the passing of the second reading was called for at 8 a.m.. the second reading being carried bv 37 votes to 19, and the House formally went into committee before adjourning for breakfast. After the House had resumed at 9.30, Opposition members proceeded to discuss the short title in the committee stages on similar lines to those adopted during the second reading debate. The discussion continued until 10.20, when a division was called for by the Opposition on the passing of the short title, which was eventually put through by 32 votes to 19 and the House proceeded with consideration of clause two of the Bill. Mr. Broadfoot rmoved an amendment to make an alteration which he said was designed to remove a difficulty the Opposition saw to determining whether an alteration of the position was to the detriment of the worker. He contended that without the amendment there would be endless confusion. The amendment was lost by 34 votes to 17. Minor amendments, mainly confined to an alteration of words, were also moved in respect to other parts of clause two. but these also were defeated on divisions by a similar vote. The clause was finally passed at 11.15 a.m. by 35 to 17 and clause 3 passed without division or amendment. A few minutes later a minor amendment to clause 4 was lost on the voices, after which Mr. Holland moved an addition to the clause giving the right of appeal from the Court of Arbitration to the Court of Appeal. A division on Mr. Holland’s amendment was reached at 12.15 and the amendment was lost by 35 votes to 19 and the clause passed by 36 votes to 19. The Bill was passed at 12.34. Mr. Fraser said the Government did not intend to proceed with the Education Anu ndment Bill. The Member for Napier, Mr. Barnard, had advised him that he intended to move an amendment on a clause in the main Act dealing with secular education. The question was one of first importance and as there would be no opportunity for those in favour of the deletion or of retention of the clause to appear before the committee of the House and give evidence, the Bill would have to be postponed. In addition, the Minister of Education, Mr. Mason, had suggested that a conference should be held on the whole matter of education so that what was required in the way of modern education could be discussed. The main purpose of the Bill was to increase the school leaving age to 15, and that could he done by regulations. The House adjourned at 12.40 after Mr. Fraser had stated that he expected the final stages would be reached about 5 p.m., after the Legislative Council had dealt with the