ORGANIZATION OF MANPOWER

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 17, 15 October 1943, Page 4

ORGANIZATION OF MANPOWER

N.Z. Controller’s Claim DETAILS OF RELEASES FROM ARMY

Dominion Special Service. NAPIER, October 14.

“I would say that, with the exception of Britain, there is probably no other country in the world that has organized its manpower more effectively than we have in New Zealand,” said Mr. H. L. Bockett, Dominion Manpower Controller, during an address to the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Conference in Napier. At the conclusion of his address Mr. Bockett devoted an hour to answering pertinent questions. The various measures of control which it had 'been necessary to bring in so as to ensure that the manpower resources were fully and effectively used in the war effort had been willingly accepted by the people as a whole, lie said. Had these steps not been taken, New Zealand’s war effort would have fallen short of what had been achieved. Since April, Mr. Bockett said, more than 12,099 people had been released from the armed forces to industry, details being as follows: —‘Primary industries, 3500; building and construction, 1200; transport and communications, 1400; heat, light and power production, 100; manufacturing industries, 2800; commerce and finance, 2000; other industry, 1000. Dealing with the retention of labour in industry, Mr. Bockett said that some 13,000 workers who would otherwise have left their jobs had accepted the manpower officer’s decision that they should continue to serve the war effort in those jobs. Another 50,000, while being permitted to leave one job for another, had been conserved within the field of essential industries. To these figures must be added the unknown but very considerable total of those who would otherwise have left their jobs but who, in willing acceptance of war-time control, made no application to do so. It was worthy of note that more than 90,000 applications to terminate employment had baeti handled by the manpower officers. There had been only 2037 appeals lodged from all the parties affected. “The fewness of the appeals from both sides is a great tribute to the spirit which employers and workers have accepted the measures of control on the one hand and to the careful and sympatehtic discretion exercised by the manpower officers on the other hand, .he added. “Of over 90,000 people seeking to leave essential industries for various reasons, we have succeeded in retaining some 63,000 within the essential industry field. Te remainder had valid reasons for leaving, and a considerable proportion of these transferred to undeclared work of high importance.” The appreciation of the conference was expressed to Mr. Bockett for his address, and particularly for the opportunity he had given delegates to question him exhaustively.