NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 181, 26 April 1919, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY

The. marvel of how the big vital industries of Britain were kept going at high pressure in spite of the drain on tho man-power of the country for the Navy and Army is in part explained by statistics which are now for the first time being given publicity. The estimated' number, of males employed in'industry in Britain in July, 1914, was 10,610,000, . Of that number 4,896,000 left to join the forces; while the number employed in industry, in July, 1918, was 8,080,000. A good many men-' discharged from the Arniy on account, of wounds or for other reasons'gradually filtered back' and helped to fill tho gaps, but a great many were transferred from various classes of employment less vital to those industries on which the life of the nation depended. Many workers were also secured from the' ranks of men in retirement. But a big-feature in supplying the shortage was, as is generally known, the women who cameforward ancl offered their services as workers in industrial occupations. These totalled no.fewer than 1,657,000, and they were mainly responsible for saving the situation. In 1918 the 4,896,000 male industrial workers who enlisted for service with the Navy and Army had been replaced by 4,025,000 men and women workers,' so that towards the 'close of the war the net reduction in persons employed was only 871,000, or 6.3 per. cent..of the prewar total.

It is of interest to note the occupations followed by women workers in Britain who volunteered for ■work during the war. Over half a million went dir'cct into the big industrial establishments; some 352,000 were engaged in commercial houses; nearly 200,000 found 1 employment in Government .establishments; nearly 100,000 in the Civil Service; 79,500 o_n transport work; 60,000 in financial and banking houses; 100,000 in public offices of various kinds; 40,000 as permanent agricultural workers (as distinct from the casual workers who volunteered for special seasonal work); many others found work on the railways, tramways, etc. The figures quoted above represent only the women who.took the places' of men in order to fill the gaps. There were, of course, many scores of thousands of women already employed in most of the occupations mentioned. The distribution of_ women (replacing men) in tho main groups of commercial occupations is particularly interesting. Drapers and clothiers absorbed 41,000; grocers, bakers, and confectioners 100,000; butchers, fishmongers, and dairymen, 30,000; stationers, booksellers, 16,000; boot and shoe shops, S000; chemists 1 shops, 12,000. These women alono released 352,000 men for the Navy and -Army.

. Those of the general public who have been -brought into touch with the work of the Director-General of Medical Services, Surgeon-General Henderson, will very heartily endorse the- sentiments voiced at the gathering of military and medical officers at General Headquarters yesterday. It is not surprising that his associates in the Defence Department and the memljers of the medical profession should have desired to do honour and wish Godspeed to General Henderson on the eve of his 'departure from the Dominion. In tho performance of his duties he has not only achieved success, but what docs not always accompany it —a very real personal popularity. During the period which he has served in New 7 Zealand as Director-General of Medical Services, General Henderson has at times had very difficult tangles to straighten out, in addition to the heavy task of organising the Medical Servicc, and the successful outcome of his efforts has been in no small measure due to the confidence lie has inspired and the good will he has won! The Dominion was fortunate indeed in securing at a critical time a man of SurgeonGeneral Henderson's experience, knowledge and personality

There has been a good deal of speculation as to how the soldiers' votes in New Zealand on the liquor issue would compare with the votes of the soldiers on the transports and in England. It was expeeted that the votes of the soldiers massed_ together in camp or on board ship woukb go very much the one way, and this proved to be the case. There has been, up to the present, something like a i> to 1 majority for Continuance in the votes of the overseas troops, and no doubt this will; be about the final result. The 'soldiers who voted as soldiers in the Dominion also recorded a substantial majority for Continuance, but •not anything like the proportions of 'the overseas vote. The figures .were, Continuance 3817, Prohibition 1471, which is less than a 3 to 1 majority for Continuance. It has to be borne in mind that the 5:100 soldiers who voted in the Dominion bad only just returned from overseas, and presumably had tliey voted at sea or in England they would have voted in the same proportions as their comrades recorded. Seeing that a few days after landing so many of Ihem voted' Prohibition it is. a fair inference that other soldiers returning will swing_ over in somewhat similar proportions on breaking away _ from military associations and mixing once more with the civilian population. Should this happen at the poll at fJie coming general election, then Prohibition might, after all, be carried this year —that is, assuming that the antiliquor forccs can hold their present civilian majority.

Some important developments in the soldier settlement scheme arc announced by the Minister of Lands (Ma. Guthrie), who is also a menifcp-r of the. Ministerial Board of Repatriation. The increase made in the maximum amount of loans to be granted to soldier settlers will no doubt serve a useful purpose and be appreciated. The decision to appoint '.'a' capable man in each land district to supervise the work of soldier settlers and the preparation of areas for soldier settlement, purposes" also' seems Jo', be on right lines. Such appointments are 110 doubt very necessary now that it is proposed to offer some of the fit men returning from the front opportunities of taking a baud, in development . work and - establishing homes in the backblocks. • The chief question open, in regard to the soldier settlement scheme, as in regard to repatriation generally, is. whether such arrangements have been made as will permit of the enterprise being effectively co-ordinated and controlled. There is much to be said in favour'of the'proposal of the lleturncd Soldiers' Association that a single competent'administrator should be appointed' Minister of Repatriation and should' be occupied solely .witli this work. It is hardly in doubt that soldier settlement, as well as other , aspects of repatriation, would bo materially facilitated and assisted if this pro-posal-were adopted. As repatriation activities are extended and assume greater complexity the:, need of an effective centralised authority becomes increasingly apparent.