BALANCE STRUCK

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 118, 17 April 1940, Page 7

BALANCE STRUCK

FORCES AND INDUSTRY. MAIN-POWER PROBLEM. HANDLING AT HOME. j (United Press Association —Bv Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) (British Official Wireless.) Received April 17, 11.35 a.in. RUGBY, April IU. During - a tliseussion in the House of Commons on the organisation of man-power, to-day, the Minister of Labour announced that the calling'-up date for men of 27 would be May 25. The numbers mobilised either for military service or for reservation in vital industrial employment had reached 1,700,QU0. Since the outbreak of the war 300,000 men had volunteered for the armed forces. There had to be maintained the balance of manpower as between the armed forces and the needs of industry. Involved in that was a factor known only to the Government, and which he could not divulge—the size at which the armed forces had been fixed. The Minister dealt with the measures taken lo release from military duty men whose qualifications were essential to war production at home. He paid a tribute to the invaluable cooperation of the trade unions in the organisation of industry for war. From the beginning of rearmament it had been emphasised repeatedly that | the maximum effort would not be felt before the second or third year. They were now reaching that stage. The Government had prepared an estimate of the probable requirements of manpower ill war industry for eighteen months ahead. This was secret, but employers and workers ill the various industries concerned had been taken into the Government’s confidence. The Minister attributed the smooth working of all arrangements necessary for bringing industry to the pitch of productivity that the war effort required to the growth over recent years in efficiency of the machinery for collective bargaining between employers and the trade unions. In order to free the production to the capacity of manpower and the raw materials for the export trade by-the restriction of home consumption, the Board of Trade made an order to-day restricting to 75 per cent, of the prewar quantity supplies to home retailers of cotton and rayon piece goods. Restriction to 25 per cent, will also be applicable to linen goods.