ESSENTIAL INDUSTRY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 January 1942, Page 4

ESSENTIAL INDUSTRY

V INTERPRETATION OF TERM PRIME MINISTER EXPLAINS. LIABILITY FOR SERVICE REMAINS (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) WELLINGTON. This Day. “An essential industry as. defined in the recent amendments to the National Service Emergency Regulations is most definitely not a. reserved occupation exempt from military obligations,” said the Prime Minister, Mi- Fraser, in an interview last night. “It is evident,” he added, “that such confusion exists in the minds of some newspaper writers, judging by editorials that have appeared during the past day of two." Mr Fraser said that the interpretation of the term essential industry as carrying automatically with it freedom from military service was wholly wrong. The purpose of the amendments to the eNational Service Emergency Regulations authorising the declaration of certain industries as essential was to ensure that, industries essential to the war effort such as munitions should be protected against the demands of non-essential industries in securing and retaining the necessary workers. The industries declared essential industries were differentiated from nonessential industries in regard to manpower, but the individual obligations of military service remained completely unaffected by the'new regulations.

FARMING OMITTED

MORE COMPLETE LIST EXPECTED.

SOUTH ISLAND COMMENT.

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

CHRISTCHURCH, January 15.

“The reason why farming was omitted from the list of essential industries published on Wednesday was attributed by Mr Mulholland, president of the Dominion executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, to the list being “very obviously incomplete.” He said that just a few industries which needed attention right away had been included and expressed the opinion that very soon a complete and more carefully analysed list of essential industries would be forthcoming. “If this does not take place it will be just a wash-out,” said Mr Mulholland, “but it is fairly certain that the Government does intend to go ahead and prepare a complete list and in that list farming' must appear.” Mr Mulholland alleged that in the present catalogue many sections could not be classed as essential to the war economy. “It does not represent a studied list at all,” he added.

“I can give no reason whatever why farming was not included,” said Mr R. G. Bishop, president of the North Canterbury branch of the Farmers’ Union. Of' all industries in New Zealand it was surely one of the most essential. With the recent mobilisation, labour on farms had been depleted to a tremendous extent and it had become practically impossible to get a man for harvesting. Nearly all the farmers he knew were working shorthanded.