The Dominion. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1942. MEASURING THE NATION'S WAR EFFORT

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 35, 5 November 1942, Page 4

The Dominion. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1942. MEASURING THE NATION'S WAR EFFORT

Those who.believe that the industrial war effort of this country is under-estimated by the public seem to have misinterpreted public feeling. The fact that essential and emergency output has risen to a comparatively great extent is generally recognized. Not only have many of the figures relating to this development been put before The people by Cabinet Ministers and others, but also in nearly every populous community there is visual evidence of the expansion of, and concentration on, industrial output. Public doubt or uncertainty is not on the score of what has been done. It may be summed up in the questions: Are we doing enough; are we doing all we can, and doing it as efficiently, speedily and economically as we can? Figures which disclose the expansion of our industries do not .answer these' questions. For example, the announcement that, the millionth hand-grenade has been produced in this country, though it may be interesting and encouraging, tells the people nothing they wish to learn. If it were known that, say, two million hand-grenades were needed as New Zealand’s contribution to the total of these weapons required for victory, it could then be said that we were half-way to our goal. But no one knows how many hand-grenades are necessary for victory. No one can know. For all we are aware, an output of a million to date may represent a shortcoming in our effort. This is not likely; but it is possible. The point is that the mere figure tells little or nothing. Nor do others of a similar sort. The question is not what we have achieved, but the adequacy of our achievement. But no one can foretell the future nature of the calls upon our industrial capacity. The only safe supposition is that they will continue to be formidably heavy; therefore the only safe and satisfying policy is that of increasing effort. . Are we as a community doing, industrially, the very best it is possible in our circumstances to do ? This cannot properly be answered by bare statistics of output. Still less can it be met by “selling ourselves to ourselves,” by way of laudatory publicity. It can only be judged on the basic facts—output per individual, hours of work per day or per week, the adjustment and allocation of national labour power. These are the matters thinking people arc pondering with concern. These points represent the real measure of the national effort. While they show as they undoubtedly do show with such conditions prevailing as a 40-hour fiveday working week—that there is room for more work and harder work by all, the biggest question must remain, namely, our wisdom as a people in stopping short of an all-out effort.