"RUTHLESS" TRANSFERS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 56, 3 September 1943, Page 4

"RUTHLESS" TRANSFERS

When a remit suggesting that in the administration of the man-power regulations all youths and girls under 20 years of age should be dealt with exclusively if possible by vocational guidance officers was before the recent conference of the Vocational Guidance Association, an official of the National Service Department said he did not think this would do. There was. he

said, an essential conflict between what must be done to win the war and what should be done in the interests of the individual. The filling of the 8000 vacancies existing in work of the j highest priority could only be accomplished by what, from the point of view of vocational guidance officers, might appear to' be somewhat ruthless transfers from non-essential to essential industries and from lower to higher priorities. The existence of so many vacancies in the most urgent class of essential wdrk is a serious matter and directs attention to an aspect of the man-power problem which has given rise to considerable public misgiving— the need for preserving a balance between the requirements of the Services and the requirements of industry. The public are not satisfied that all those in uniform, including men, are carrying out necessary duties, and the Prime Minister himself ■ has admitted the need for an inquiry into suggestions that the Services are overmanned. One thing is clear. Disturbance of the balance of labour needed for civil requirements must be undertaken very cautiously and after the closest examination of all the many factors involved. "Ruthless" transferring and calling-up in the past have led to great waste and inefficiency through steps hurriedly taken having to be retraced and denuded industries remanned. What is needed is not "ruthless" methods but careful planning. Only in that way can the best results be achieved. And if there is to be "ruthless" stripping of labour from occupations that are now barely able to give essential service to the public there must certainly be "ruthless" re-examination of any area in which over-manning is suspected— not excluding the Services.