WORK OF NATIONAL IMPORTANCE

Southland Times, Issue 24828, 21 August 1942, Page 5

WORK OF NATIONAL IMPORTANCE

Many Fail To Register (P A) WELLINGTON, August 20. Concern at the number of failures to register for employment in work of national importance was expressed tonight by the Minister of Industrial Man Power, the Hon. A. McLagan. Statistics compiled by the National Service Department revealed that only 21000 out of 26,000 women aged 20 and 21, who should have registered, had actually done so, leaving 5000 who failed to comply with their obligations. Approximately 6000 men aged from 46 to 51 had similarly failed to register. The present indications pointed to similar evasion by many of the 22 and 23-year-old women who were called on to register on August 10. “This position is serious, said the Minister “It means that there are some thousands of men and women who are not prepared to do their share in winning the war. This attitude cannot be tolerated, and staffs are being prepared to make a comprehensive check on all persons who failed to register. There have not been many prosecutions for failure to register so far, but the number is likely to increase rapidly in the near future if no considerable early improvement occurs in the registration figure of these classes.”