CIVILIANS ON SERVICE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3042, 31 March 1917, Page 12

CIVILIANS ON SERVICE

' BR. NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN'S , SCHEME MEN ONLY AT FIRST Mr. Neville Chamberlain (British Director, of, National Service); : recently outlined- his 'scheme of national service' for civilians, as. follows i— The "Bulk : of tho men required for the Army to bring the war, 'to 33 ' • speedy bu, end. as possible are to be found in munition works, coal mines, shipbuilding, transport work,, and agriculture.. An effort.is to be r direct- ■' c(l to finding a sufficient number of substitutes for those who may be■■ called, upon for'military service..--.-. / Everybody is to be asked; to,play. ;his part, and at first volunteers will bo called for. .Tho" rate of remuneration will be the standard rate of pay for the job to which a man is sent. ■ There is not to be a simultaneous appeal to men and womeu. Only men will be appealed-to at present. '. Women may be called on later if re- - .quired. A Department will be set up, in a few days to deal with women valJur.teers, but they will not be enrolled 1 -on precisely the same lines as men. • ; Tlie' age limits for men are between :18 aud 60 years. The,limit of 60' was decided upon when it became clear ■ ! that only men; in full vigour were jneeded. .. ■. ■: : . i i ! It is not intended to take men al- , ; j ready engaged in work of national im- ;' iportance from their' present , occupai ! fcidns if :they cannot be reg3a<!ed. !• ' No ono will be able,to escape milii- tary .. service by volunteering,, for Nal tional Civilian Service. m '■"' 1 Efforts will be made t" .find,substi- (• tutes for indispeiisable men, ' " ' ( '.', '■■ ;. Volunteers'will'go. wlwjever'the Di- ' rector-General^'-.may' ask them to go, \ 1. 'but they'will'bd kept in''their own. disi tricts-'as-far as : possible; -. ''/ 1 Volunteers will not be~put into other I joceupations than those for which they ; have volunteered, until it is established ; are more suitable" for others. ■ • /'Tne Employment'Exch'anges.will be'' ■ :used for recruiting for National Civi-r-linn'Service, and local authorities will , ibeasked-td help/' r .' ' ; ' : :| ' . ; - Cards for Enrolment. . . ','Meetings ■ will be.organised at ! oobb 1 to -stimulate enrolment, : •'•"•■ ! . ■ Letter cards will be provided, to-be [ tilled in by recruits. Each recruit will 1 be asked to give his name,-the name 'of his employer, Ms trade, his-,condi-? 1 tion (single- or married), and the' work ." he is particularly'fitted. . These cards will also contain a form •. of to' be :signed,'by the . recruit, by which he will place hinißelf unresorvedly ;at the . disposal of the Director 7 Genoral of National Service. , These; cards will he obtainable ;at any post office, and will be sent out to the ; local authorities. : ,-.'. The looal authorities will be asked te' start recruiting rallies, and cards will ■ be available at all the. meetings. ~ All the cards will he sent to. London 1' in the first instance, and wilHbe, sorted •■ and classified there. ; They mil then 1 be sent ■to the local Exchanges,' where / . instructions' will be received for the. ; calling up of volunteers in batches«not > larger, than can be dealt with at any • time. '-. . ■ ' i ! "Volunteers will be classified 1 accord- •: ing to occupation. _ -; Local ■ demands will be first', dealt - with, and larger demands willbe sent -. s on to the general bureau in London. ,' Recruiting Areas., ■. ■-. 1 There, will be' five recruiting areas in : :England;... one:: iii-:,Walesj:; and-dne in Scotland. Each area will be presided' ~ ;oyefeby,c.a~,Commissioner,- who awill be assisted by. two Deputy-Commissioners. i It willbe the duty of these Commissioners to keep the Central Department, in constant touch -with everything which:.affeets it, and ahso to act' in a, judicial capacity'; in the 1 case of any complaint'.or.-appeal that may be ! , made<by;;empldyer-or employed. ■ i .No.provision-isiiihade at present for meii giving'.part vtinie, bnt something ' of the kind may he arranged later on. The establishment: of a minimum wage is being'considered. There,will be a : subsistence allowance of 17s. 6d; a; week for every man: who is called .away ifrom 'his own district. ■In certain cases the Department will find accpmmodation, s beforenand for men transferred.:.' ( - • A. specially urgent appeal will be made to'-those qualified to assist- in r ' .agriculture. Employers will bo asked to show consideration to vohmteers who may leave ' their .service.- by keeping their places open, and..wherever possible seeing that the" men suffer-no pecuniary loss,/as was done in the case,of volunteers for the Army in the early; days of the war. • Seven days' notice will be given to the volunteers before. they are called iip. This interval will give employers the. opportunity, if they wish to; avail themselves of it, of appealing to the local. Commissioners...'-. ' - ; ■•;: Men/engaged'-; in.-trades ..of national ': not at ' ;.pr.eseiit),hei traiisferred 'to other 'occu,.patiionsV''Jlf,.however, it is shown that. ;■ 'there;isi'anexcessVdfvskilled labour in ■". a'p'a'rtiqular./factory^:siich a man will ho '■ /traiisferred,'-to another/factory, in the '- same/district.."., ■•.//",'." ■'" .•_ -.- ''■'■ Tt may be added that the Local-Gov-emment'Board.is working in close ; cooperation, with. Mr. .Neville Chainberr "lain's Department; As' there is every - intention of enlisting to the full the services of the local authorities, the' -, experience of Lord Ithondda's Department must-'obviously prove invaluable. The Department _is fully conversant with the working of the "Military Ser- ■-' ; vice; Acts, .and; its experience of the wdrk'.6f.thp ; tribiihals-cannot fail to he ,; of : grea't utility to. Mr.-'. Neville Chamberlain. .It may be accepted, therefore, that/the Local .Government Board will ' make a considerable, contribution to tho; expected success of the scheme for ..'civilian' service. ; ;