NEW ZEALAND MANPOWER

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 6, 18 September 1942, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND MANPOWER

THE recent calling up. of approximately 21,000 men between the ages of 35-37 gives cause for reflection as to just what percentage of the Dominion's available manpower, it is intended to draft into the armed forces. At an approximate estimate there are 51,000 more men in the remaining age groups from 38 to 45 years of age. If these are called up, then the total of men yet to be called, from industry will amount to less than 72,000. Some 160„000 have been already absorbed by the services. New Zealand has but little more than 500,000 men within the whole groups from 18 years of age to centenarians, of which there are obviously a great number over any conception of a military age. The obvious conclusion can only be that the only persons left in industry are the unfit, the decrepit and those who have been spared by virtue of appeal. There are growing fears that the ratio of civilians to soldiers is fast nearing the danger line and to safeguard against collapse the warning note is sounded throughout the length and breadth of our land. It was well said by the Director of National Service, prior to the publication of the last age-group that a little more discretion would be exercised in the appropriation of men from industry than in the past and that in puisuance of this each man's position would be studied before he was required to enter the: forces. A like understanding has been shown in America. A high official at Washington concerned with the Army call-up, an Army Major, declared: "The immediate responsibility of the employer is to secure and fight for the deferment (release from service) of men actively engaged and contributing to the war effort." To this was added the declaration that "wcx now-need between 10 and 15 men behind each fighting man/' The loan's ratio nut forward; by any recognised authorities is that of 7 to 1 between workers and soldiers. That is Germany's minimum .estimate, and it has been much criticised as being altogether too optimistic, the critics declaring that various higher ratios are required:, some even demanding 20. to 1. However, let New Zealand's case be examined in the light of the very minimum, the most highly optimistic ratio, that of seven men for soldier. With 160,000 men, and possibly more by now, in our Armed Forces, there should be 1„120,000 men on the Home Front. The total population of the country is 1,620,000. Of these there arc approximately one-third children, one-third men and one-third women. It is clearly evident that our Army is totally out of balance: for the population of this small country. In extenuation of this drastic position it is safe to say that the majority of people realise to some extent the uigency of the situation which has forced the creation of so large a standing army, but at the same time it is an open secret that the men drawn from active civilian callings are often compelled, once they have entered camp to adopt a listless, humdrum existence which after their responsible and full-time occupations, is galling in the extreme, and in .the words of one man recently on leave —a complete fiasco.. This no doubt is one of the problems with which the authorities must grapple;, if it is still the intention to draft more and still more men into camp. But apart from this damaging aspect an even more vital problem is the declining bal ance of .manpower left to carry on industry and maintain the commercial operations, of the Dominion, which after all are permanent, and constitute our basis of prosperity for countless years to come.