National Efficiency

Levin Daily Chronicle, 20 March 1917, Page 3

National Efficiency

* , LODAL BODIES APPROACHED. The National Efficiency Board has circularized the public ibodies of the Dominion, asking them to report by their engineers or other responsible! officers as to the best means of increasing the district efficiency. It is specially desired that the report shall deal with:—

I.—Works of maintenance, upkeep and repairs; how far these can be reduced in the present crisis, thereby rendering available the servces of men for other purposes. 2.—New works in progress; how far fcliey can be expedited towards completion or to a partial completion to warrant suspension, or whether the war can be completely postponed until after peace is declared, and generally what labor can be released. 3.—-New woriks proposed; how far the execution can be postponed. 4.—Tabulation of the schemes for desirable works, 60 that on the conclusion of the war there might be in readiness for execution works to absorb surplus labor. The circular adds that in addition to office work women can replace the labor of men, as is being done in Great Britain. The women of New Zealand are as a whole physically fitter for agricultural and navvying work than are their- sisters in the Old Country. Women, for instance, could carry out a large proportion of the duties of a country roadman, or could replace sailor men in signal station. It is anticipated that in many cases the wives and other relatives of men in the Second Division will be willing and anxious to undertaike the work of the men called up, and itf»any men who have retired from the service of a local .body will again be willing to take up duty, thus releasing younger men.

At last night's meeting of 'Levin Borough Council the circular was discussed. The council's employees (it was shown) all are over military' age.