WAR INDUSTRIES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 January 1941, Page 7

WAR INDUSTRIES

THE BRITISH REGISTRATION PLAN

WOMEN TO PLAY GREATER PART. IN FACTORIES AND CIVIL DEFENCE. ■ British Official Wireless i RUGBY January 21. The Minister of Labour and Nation- ! al Service. Mr Bevin. m a committee • speech today, stressed the increasingly ( important part which women would be ■ called uoon to ul.iv in Britain’s v.\ ; I effort. ' ’ ' j Many women who normally would i not take employment would have to : be called into industrial service as met. i were called upon to the forces. In the coming months there would be a heavy demand for additional man and ' woman-power for the services. munitions. and civil defence. ‘ r Other points made by Mr Bevin in a speech in which he surveyed war production as a whole were: 1 I 1. Before long arrangements will have 1C to be made for registering men 19 *' years of age as well as those over 36 years. " 2. in certain cases of vital war work I the right of dismissal will have to | be taken out of the empolyers' I hands, except for misconduct. 3. No employee will be permitted to leave vital war work without permission from a National Service officer. 4. The stage has now been reached i when industrial registration will be necessary, by this means making a list of those who should be called on to serve the State in national industry. 5. The solution of the problem of re- ! H pair and quick turning of shipping! , was a mobile organised labour! , force, co-ordinated management. , and the use of every available cap-1 acity. Frank consultations to this! " end had been in progress between 1 k members of the Government and: s those concerned. ‘ Referring to unemployment figures. ; Mr Bevin said that the reservoir of I . men available was practically dry. To obtain more labour force from non-j essential occupations there would be a survey to see to what extent women 1 could do men’s work both in the SerI vices and in offices and to arrange for 5 men to do productive rather than of- ■’ flee work, though, as in the past, much i. could bo done by voluntary means. - There would now be industrial regisj tration by age groups. Mr Bevin ex- _ plained that industries engaged in cer- ; tain types of vital war work would be ■(declared to be “national industries." REVIEW OF PRODUCTION. i The whole question of the reconII struction of production would have to .I be reviewed, providing arrangements , (could be made for registering any de- ’ parture from Trade Union agreements ; and customs and for restoring such arrangements and customs at the end of j the war. A Bill was under discussion ■ between the parties and would be! ready 'at an early date. Mr Bevin said that in some cases in • the labour management of workshops it might well be necessary to appoint a personal controller, and on him might well rest the responsibility for the engagement and termination of employment and all other matters touching the welfare of the employees, but the Production Department would have to replace any inefficient management. Steps would have to be taken if necessary, to prescribe the minimum number of hours worked in any undertaking. Mr Bcvin’s speech included several cheering statements regarding production. “In spite <>f the shortening of hours and the increased and determined attack made by the enemy " said Mr Bevin “I am assured by the I Minister of Supply that so far as his I department is concerned the high production reached in the summer was I maintained and in’ many eases injcreased in the last quarter of 1940. Indeed, for some of the more import- | ant items < f output it showed a very i considerable increase over anything \ accomplished in the previous period

OUTPUT STILL RISING. i “The output of all our essentia j weapons and ammunition is still risin; , and will represent a formidable ad ; vance in the first quarter of 1941 ( As the result of a training driv< | the number of people engaged m muni | lion production .it the moment wa greater than in July. '9lll j The aeroplane was going through process e.f rapid <.-•.< lotion, and <mc '.lie beginning September each wee! haii shown an ;nere:>e in the ituinbe •if jiccruft for uulivr service bfotiucec m this country Many pl.nu-.s also ha< j bt'cn flown from the other saie ■ th. i Atlantic in bad winter weather i .ail loss That was a tribute :!:■ I.tliciency of -he machme? ami to th., pilots who had flown them I Merchant slopping toiinas-e. a Li, ■ IMr Bevm ,n the mx months ha. I-hown a substantial :iicrea?<- .’nor, | than one-third over the figure- f< : the first half of 1910 I Regarding industri.il policy in it' ’domestic aspect Mr Bevin stated: " claim that one of tbr greatest testono [nials to the wisdom of the policy fol lowed is that the number of stoppage: (due to trade disputes lias been the low ! cst in history. The value of this met It or. I is that it was put into operation wa) (full agreement and was not imposes i on industry. The Mmivm- I that men : ....i i", ‘ “I li.ivr no fear so far .r, the masses of our work people are cenrerned. They will readily respond, for I am ratisfied that no one n more grimly -ur-.r of Hitieri-.ni from Europe and

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