H.—lla

178. Table 15 of the Appendix gives a broad industrial classification of the 24,375 releases of men from the Forces initiated by Armed Forces Appeal Boards and District Man-power Officers during the last twelve months. Reference to the numbers involved under each industry will give some indication of the industrial priorities observed by Appeal Boards and Man-power Officers during the period. 179. Reference to Table 13 of the Appendix will give, on the other hand, information concerning the industries from which men combed out of industry by review of appeals between March, 1943, and April, 1945, were drawn. It will be observed by comparison of this table with the aforementioned table that many industries from which Category "A" men were combed out also received labour as a result of the release of men following action by Man-power Officers and Armed Forces Appeal Boards. This is explained largely by the release of " Necal " (3rd Division) personnel and their subsequent remobilization as the 1944-45 farming season waned, and by the release, on the initiative of District Man-power Officers, of down-graded men, as well as the release of long-service repatriates, whoso return to industry has enabled the release to the Forces of Category " A "men. Table 12 of the Appendix gives the conjugal status of the 11,219 men referred to in Table 13—i.e., those released after review of appeals—as well as of 3,769 other men made available during the same period at the stage of first appeal. (iii) Category " A " and Grade I Men aged Twenty Years and under, at present held under Appeal 180. As at the end of February of the current year (the last date within the year reviewed on which figures are held) the total number of Grade I men under twenty-one years of age (including 149 under twenty), together with the total number of Category "A" men held on appeal, was 28,441. In addition to this, some 2,500 men were held on grounds of demonstrable essentiality in the coal-mining, ships' personnel, ministers of religion, and police groups. The Category "A. " men totalled 26,910 of the 28,441. (Note. —The definition of Category "A " applies to Grade I men aged twenty-one to thirty-five years inclusive with not more than two children and who have not had three or more years overseas service. Grade I men under twenty-one years of age are not liable for overseas service until they reach twenty-one before December, 1944, the definition of Category "A" extended to Grade I men aged twenty to forty years inclusive with not more than three children.) 181. The reserve of man-power held under appeal in essential industry might at first sight be considered a prolific source of further man-power for inclusion in the replacement drafts and Air Force overseas establishments. However, if Table 9of the Appendix is scrutinized, it will be found that the industrial distribution of the 26,910 Category "A" men held as at the end of February is such that the scope for considerable further withdrawal is very limited. Of the industries which were important holders of Category " A " man-power as at the end of February, farming, with over 13,000, is by far the most important industry affected. Bush-felling and sawmilling and afforestation with over 1,100, building and construction with over 1,000, transport and communications with over 3,000, secondary industry with 2,800, and public administration and professional services with over 1,000 explain the majority of the reservations. (iv) Reservation of Scientific, Professional, and Technical Workers and Students 182. The Department has found it necessary, in order to ensure the uniform screening of manpower in scientific, professional, technical, and student fields, to provide special machinery. As far as scientific workers are concerned, the Department has received valuable advice, the benefit of which has been extended to Armed Forces Appeal Boards, from the Director of Scientific Development ; while the Health Department has co-operated with the National Service Department in the consideration of cases of doctors, dentists, and nurses and their most effective utilization either in the Forces or in civil practice. In the cases of technical workers, Man-power Utilization Councils have yielded valuable advisory service to the Department, which has, in turn, advised Armed Forces Appeal Boards. 183. In the cases of University students, the Department had early found it desirable to establish special machinery to consider the desirability of postponing the call-up of such students. Following a War Cabinet decision, students undertaking full-time courses in medicine, dentistry, engineering, science (including agricultural and veterinary science), and architecture are eligible to be considered for exemption from their obligations to the Armed Forces or to industry. Mining engineering was formerly included, but as there is at present little scope for the engagement in New Zealand of men holding the A.O.S.M. diploma, mining is no longer an approved subject for exemption. Obviously the purpose in withholding students from mobilization in either the military or the industrial field has been that they will on graduation, be able to make a greater contribution to the public interest either in the Forces or in industry. 184. Every student attending a University college who attains the age of twenty during the academic year is required to submit an application through his University college for reservation. Each application is dealt with on its merits, consideration being given to age, medical grading, and academic performance. Approvals are for the year in question only, and it does not necessarily follow that if an approved student passes his annual examination he will automatically gain approval for the,ensuing year. During the year ended 31st March, 1945, 20 per cent, of science graduates from each University college were permitted to proceed to their Honours course on a full-time basis. Others have applied on graduation to transfer to medicine, but owing to the heavy requirements of the Armed Forces and the demand for industrial specialists, such graduates, except in extraordinary circumstances, have not been permitted to so transfer. 185. The Department is indebted to the Students Advisory Committee, which assists in an advisory capacity in dealing with students' applications. This Committee is comprised mainly of University Professors and representatives of the Director of Scientific Development, the Director of Education, and the Public Service Commissioner. Other interests may be represented in dealing with particular claims of students—e.g., the Directors of the agricultural colleges when dealing with agricultural students.

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