Service Competition For Women Recruits Not Wanted

Taranaki Daily News, 25 August 1942, Page 4

Service Competition For Women Recruits Not Wanted

Press Assn.

Release of wives on return of soldier-husbands conI sidered.

Wellington, Last Night.

Commenting on a suggestion that each service should conduct its own recruiting campaign for women, the Minister of National Service, the Hon. W. J. Broadfoot, said the main objection to such a course l'ay chiefly in the fact that the employment of women in the armed forces was not merely an individual problem of respective services, but one of national concern, and from the Government's point of view must be considered on that basis. "If women are required for the armed forces," added the Minister, "it is the Government's duty to see they are obtained according to the requirements of the respective services. To have three bodies recruiting independently and competing for the services of the same persons was undesirable under any circumstances, particularly when the relative numerical requirements of ^the services varied to a marked degree." The functions of the Women's War Service Auxiliary which, he said, acted as a preliminary clearing-house for all applications, were outlined by Mr. Broadfoot. "Profiting from the experience gained during the voluntary enlistment of men, the Minister continued, "the Government has sought to ensure that women recruits

are utilised on a sound, economic basis; that they will be withdrawn from industry only to the extent of the requirements of the services, and that they will be employed on duties suitable for their training, skill and qualifications." The responsibility of the women's armed forces personnel board, which romprised a representative of each of the three services and of the Women's War Service Auxiliary was to ensure that while individual preference would be given consideration, the allocation of personnel between the three services would be in accordance with the requirements. Referring to the enlistment condition that women must be prepared to serve for the duration and 12 months thereafter, unless discharged, the Minister said that if a woman enlisted, and her domestic circumstances or arrangements chanffed in a ma.nner which would justify her discharge, the services would favourphlv consider the grantins of her release. This would apply particularly to the wives of soldiers who were serving overseas. If their husbands returned from overseas, no difficulty would be placed in the way of those women in obtaining discharges. As far as the question of serving in any oart of New Zealand was concerned. the Minister concluded, it was the policy of the three services, if it could possibly be arranged, to post women to duties as near as possible to their places of residence. This did not imply that a woman might live at home, but if she were not living at home she would normally be housed in barracks or some other suitable accommodation provided by the respective services.