Enlistment or Employment?
Page 4
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The Time Has Arrived when the Danger of Making Further Recruiting Inroads on Works Staffs Must Be Realized.
The First Lord of the Admiralty has created, amongst other reputations for himself, that of an apt coiner of phrases, and perhaps one of those which most caught the public fancy was his likening of the British character for tenacity to the grip of the bulldog, and to the ability of that docile but ferociouslooking animal to breathe quite comfortably while it yet holds tight with its jaws. That, in ettect, gave expression in symbolical terms to thiiocountry's muchadvertised programme of "Business as Usual."
Overtime in Wartime.
After many weeks of war, it can be properly recorded that, while, perhaps, business has not been exactly "as usual," it has been exceptionally brisk in ninny directions, and appears likely in continue so. This is a happy state of.affairs, which is, of course, entirely due to our command of the seas. We are enabled to work overtime upon the production of supplies and equipment of all kinds, not only for our own belligerent forces, but for those of certain of our Allies, and, incidentally, of course, we too are enabled to carry on a very extensive and rapidly increasing trade with neutral countries all over the world.
Too Busy To Enlist.
No less insistent than the cry from the industrial community that we shall " Buy and pay as usual" is the demand from national sources that we shall enlist in " the next 100,000." Both are admirable objects to keep in view. But it must be realized that we cannot jointly give full effect to the whole of our ultimate military and industrial requirements. There must come a time when it has to be decided which is the more important direction in which our remaining available workers may be employed. All over the country, and in many diverse directions, we are beginning to hear of shortage of skilled labour. There is little unemployment in the case of those who can and will work. Therein lies the secret of much sluggishness in recruiting in certain localities.
The Demand for Skilled Men.
The shipbuilding industry is feeling the pinch as badly as any, but heavy motor works are now being made to suffer considerably, and this is of perhaps more vital importance than any set of similar conditions in most otherttradea. The production pi'. the commercial vehicle calls for the assistance of skilled men of types of which a great number is urgently and specifically required for service in the actual war area. This is true, too, of shipbuilding, ordnance manufacture, and certain other branches of industry, but in no great sense in khaki, boot, and other similar equipment factories. There skilled men are not so urgently needed. Demands from them for ordinary recruits can be made good in large measure by unskilled or further female assistance. In no industry is this dual demand more -acutely felt than in commercial-motor production, which has developed so remarkably in the last 10 years, and, in respect of its adaptation to warlike needs, out of all knowledge in the last three months.
Increasing Works Staffs.
The output of 15 or more of our lorry factories in this country is, as is well known, being devoted entirely to the meeting of military requirements. Each of those 15 works managers is doing his utmost to accelerate and increase delivery for obvious reasons. The need for more and more suitable men to effect such results is equally evident. Meantime, el 4 demands continue to be made by the Army authorities, sporadic and apparently disconnected as they often are, for fitters, mechanics and drivers in large numbers. The result is that, at the present moment, there is, we have ascertained, an urgent demand for well over 1000 workmen in our commercial-vehicle factories.
More Lorries or Fewer Men ?
The point has been reached, in our opinion, at which it has to be decided by the master mind as to whether it is expedient in the nation's interests further to deplete the labour resources of .our commercial-vehicle factories. Suitable skilled men are`not found in a day, despite the fact that many a so-called motorcar fitter considers himself fully qualified after a period of initiation in respect of cleaning gearboxes and crankcases. The loss of skilled testers, machinists and fitters is a very difficult one to make good at the present time. The "powers that be" must decide if further recruiting is to be carried on amongst the workers in this all-important industry of ours. Has the point not been reached when it must be decided whether it be more important to increase the numbers of motor lorries in the field, or even to maintain the existing fleets, or to draw away the men who can meet such demands to do service in the field'?
Button Badges for Government Worker:.
Some attempt to regulate the situation is at any rate being countenanced, if not approved, by the War Office, in respect of the issue of works buttons, to be worn by those who are industrially fighting the nation's battles, although it appears that they "should not bear anything suggestive of official sanction," The ranks of these workers must not, in our opinion, be further decreased. A better distribution and allocation of the available labour of the special kind required for this branch of His Majesty's Forces would have been secured, we submit, had the War Department, many weeks ago, taken into its confidence those who, in civilian life, are in touch with the labour conditions of the industry. In that way it would have been possible to have indicated the classes of men who, in respect of their civilian aid, were more suitably employed in the faetories furnishing munitions of war than in the field using. or maintaining them. Such instances might then have been avoided as those in which warkers in eornmercial-vehicle factories have taken short-length employment elsewhere as a preliminary to engagement at the Arsenal and other Government shops at rates higher than those standardized by the trades unions, in order to meet inquiries as to their not being "already employed on Government work."
We Must Conserve Our Resources.
Skilled labour in days such as these is all required, and it can be in most cases employed in some way or another to the nation's advantage. We must not be improvident of it. Our armies in the field are increasing rapidly ; their equipment must keep pace with it. The demands on our factories will certainly get no less, and, obviously, are likely to increase to a great extent. This cannot be so if other fields as yet by,no means approaching exhaustion are not first exploited in the nation's call for its next million men.
Let those workers who, for the benefit of the country, must be exempt from military service be distinguished by a badge to save them. from molestation and annoyance at the hands of official and sometimes self-appointed recruiting agents