DRAINAGE OF MANPOWER

Waikato Times, Volume 131, Issue 21758, 18 June 1942, Page 2

DRAINAGE OF MANPOWER

Contending that the position in the primary producing industries has become “desperate” as a result of the heavy drain on manpower resources in favour *of the armed forces, a Franklin county committee has decided to collate facts for presentation to the Prime Minister. Three essentials in war, said Mr J. N. Massey, chairman of the Franklin meeting, were food, equipment and manpower. Among the three there is little difference in order of urgency. In a country particularly suited to the production of foodstuffs there should perhaps be greater emphasis on food production than in some other countries. The problem of the authorities is to strike a balance among the several essentials so that the war effort shall be most efficiently served. Because of the many factors involved the work of the Armed Forces Appeal Board and the Manpower Committee is extraordinarily difficult and has an important influence upon the whole war effort. Whether an appeal to the Prime Minister can improve matters it is difficult to say. The boards charged with the duty of saying who among the balloted men should go into the forces and who should remain on the production front have to look at the problem from a national and sometimes an International point of view. That the manpower position in most industries has reached a state of stringency almost simultaneously suggests that the scales have been held fairly evenly. The Government can intervene only to change the policy with regard to certain sections of industry which may be considered more necessary to wartime efficiency or in spreading or limiting the ballots. Obviously the country's manpower cannot be drained beyond a certain stage without throwing one or more of the essentials out of balance.