NOTES AND COMMENTS

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 36, 6 November 1942, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS

An'iudication of the large part women are playing in tbe Services and as civilian workers is provided "by the published analysis of registrations in the 24-30 years age-group. To date, some 21,000 single women have registered, and of this number fewer than 3000 are classified as “living at home and not otherwise employed.” When it is realized that in many cases the term “living at home” refers to essential domestic work on behalf of elderly people, invalids and wage-earning members of a family, it will be agreed that the proportion of those not engaged in industry or business is exceedingly small. In the group comprising married women without children the number engaged exclusively in household duties is proportionately much higher, consisting of 6940 out of 13,746. This would indicate that A more pointed appeal should be made to young, childless married women to devote at least part of their time to temporary employment. In Britain the parttime system of employing such women has been highly successful, and the opportunity already provided in this country to work restricted hours at proportionately reduced rates of pay (in order that domestic duties may not be neglected) might well be extended. An unsatisfactory aspect of the registration is its slowness. The instruction to register was issued on September 25—six weeks ago. This should have been, ample time for a complete listing; yet it appears that some 6000 out of a total of 41,000 eligible women have not yet come forward. This is.not good enough. It represents waste of valuable time through sheer negligence. * * * . *

A timely statement ofofficial 'policy in respect to civil defence training during the coming holiday period has been issued by the Minister in charge (Mr. Wilson). His warning that in spite of the apparent improvement in the Pacific position all defence units must remain on the alert will strengthen the hands of E.P.S. district organizers, and also remind them of the need—which is apparent in some'cases —to eliminate slackness by instituting a regular training programme for the summer months, together with a balanced holiday roster. Unfortunately, that large section of the E.P.S. which is concerned with fire-fighting, continues to be handicapped in its planning for the future by lack of knowledge of official intentions concerning the auxiliary fire 'service in general. The report prepared by the expert from London is still being withheld, though the Prime Minister announced on October 22 that it was in the hands of the Government. Surely Cabinet has now time to deal with this report to make known its recommendations and the decisions reached in respect to them. If some form of reorganization or improvement in civil defence is contemplated, no time should be wasted in bringing it about If not then the sooner those concerned are told the position the better will they be encouraged to go ahead with the jobs they are at present doing.

Strict neutrality remains tbe Turkish policy, but it is au armed neutrality and that may make it fully effective. The President of the Turkish Republic, speaking at the opening of the National Assembly, said that the constantly increasing enmity between the belligerents was making it more difficult to maintain this policy, but the rapid expenditure of men and materials on the Russian front must also tend to make more important the weight of Turkish armaments. That may be one reason why so little has been heard in recent months about Nazi attempts to browbeat the Government at Ankara. The Turkish forces represent a reinforcement that might turn the tide in this great struggle. If they entered the lists against the Axis Powers there would at once be another Eurojiean front that would involve the Balkans, and there are military experts who hold that that is the best area for an Allied move. Relatively Turkey today occupies a stronger position, than she did when war broke out, and President Inonu s declaration that a policy based on domination of the world by one nation is impossible was obviously meant for consideration in Berlin.