Women's Rehabilitation Advisory Committee meeting minutes

WOMEN’S REHABILITATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Meeting held on Wednesday 4th.April ’45.

PRESENT – Mrs. M. Macdonald (Chairman)
Mrs. E. Don
Miss A. Kane
Miss M. Malempre

Attending – Lieut-Col. F. Baker, Director of Rehabilitation,
Mr. H. Bockett, Director of Man-power
Mr. S. Gaspar, Member of Rehabilitation Board.

Chairman for the meeting – Lieut-Col. F. Baker.

Discussion took place regarding the first motion on the Minutes of
last meeting –

“That the Director be asked to reconsider his reply to Clause (c) as
this Committee still thinks it advisable that the advice of the
Committee be sought before an application from an ex-servicewoman
is finally turned down”.

Clause (c) referred to above is included in the following Resolution –

(a) That this Committee be given a cumulative analysis of returned
and home servicewomen each month.

(b) Also a return showing a list of applications for financial assist-
ance received from ex-servicewomen, which have been approved
or declined; and

(c) Showing the individual amounts.

The Director’s reply to the Resolution was as follows: -

(a) This will be arranged.

(b) and (c) “A return can be given showing the loans granted
each month under the various headings, but it is not
possible, nor do I think it will be of any value to your
Committee to show the total applications received, for the
reason that many applications may be lodged for assistance
which, while available generally, is not considered suit-
able for the individual concerned.”

Colonel Baker said that this Committee was purely an advisory one
as were Committees on such matters as housing, farming, etc. They had
no particular executive power but kept in close touch with the whole
question of Rehabilitation from the angle on which they were to give
advice. It seemed that in the future the Committee would have to cover
a very full field.

Actual applications were handled in Wellington by an Executive
Committee; loans by the Loans Committee, Trade Training by the Trade
Training Committee, and so on. Any alteration to the arrangements already
in existence would serve no useful purpose.

What was wanted from the Women’s Advisory Committee was a general
policy, drawn up as in other fields, indicating what, in their opinion,
were the fields for the rehabilitation of ex-servicewomen. After policy
had been planned and adopted by the Board, individual applications would
be dealt with by the various Executive Committees, in accordance with
general policy. The biggest field for this Advisory Committee was that
of vocational and educational training, and of actual employment, as under –

1. Advice in regard to the placement of ex-servicewomen.

2. The possibility of surveying industrial concerns to ascertain the
   potentialities of employment in various industries and occupations.

Page 2.

1. A report on the various types of employment which are regarded as
   suitable for the placement of ex-servicewomen and directed women,
   after man-power direction has ceased. In connection with types of
   employment, there is the question of suitability of the job itself
   for women; the training necessary for women to undertake the work;
   the availability of training colleges, schools, or actual educational
   course; the necessity for educational training to fit women for
   various types of occupation, and what facilities are available in
   each town for these purposes.
   Then there are the basic educational requirements for under-
   taking different types of work, and having regard to the wages that
   are paid in that occupation, the questions of a subsidy to be paid
   during the course of training.
   Finally a recommendation on the need for the establishment of
   any special educational courses or training schools of any type, to
   enable women to be trained in occupations for which they are fitted.
   In regard to ex-servicement, the Department had had to develop that
   very considerably, by establishing schools for brick-laying, carpentry,
   roof-tiling, etc., one for the latter trade was in operation at
   Petone and one was proposed at Auckland.
   Existing training facilities may not be adequate; for example
   certain dressmaking colleges may or may not be quite suitable as
   training schools. Are they adequate? If not, what is to be recom-
   mended?

2. The question of ascertaining the wishes or intentions of women who
   are at present in essential industry, when man-power control ceases.
   That is very necessary if the Rehabilitation Department is to learn
   what is the problem in the placement of women. Some indication is
   required of how many women are going back into their homes when
   peace comes, and how many have other intentions.

Those were the four main fields which would have to be covered at
some stage. It might not be possible to cover them all at the present
time, but a start might be made on some of them.

Discussion followed on this topic. Mrs. Macdonald said that the
plan suggested was more or less in line with the Committee’s previous
discussions. A survey of women in industry was asked for in order to
ascertain their intended movements on the cessation of man-power direction.

Colonel Baker then asked for a decision as to which problems could
be dealt with now.

In connection with Question 1, letters were read from the Director
of Rehabilitation and Director of Man-power to the effect that Man-power
officers would co-operate with the Rehabilitation Officers in the place-
ment of ex-servicemen. The position of directed industrial workers
was discussed and Mr. Bockett indicated that the pressing demand for man-
power made it impossible at present to consider training women already in
industry, for anything else. In the National interest, factory employment
should be built up, trade training provided, and the status and conditions
of factory workers improved. National Service Department was now taking
over the whole question of employment and was acting as agents for the
Rehabilitation Department in placing ex overseas personnel who, though not,
directly subject to man-power direction, often required assistance and
advice on the subject of employment.

It was moved and seconded –

“That local Women’s Committees be asked to appoint a liaison officer who
will keep in touch with Rehabilitation Officers and District Man-power
Officers and will act as consultant to any servicewoman desirous of
advice and assistance, and that machinery be set up as required, to
deal with difficult cases.”

Page 3.

In connection with Question 2, Colonel Baker indicated that until
the Government made some pronouncement regarding the future of industry
in the country, it was almost impossible to predict developments and
rather inadvisable to approach employers on the subject.

Mr. Bockett agreed that a survey of industry must be deferred for
the present and remarked that average younger girls would have very little
difficulty in finding employment, but that older women now earning good
wages on war work might present a problem when they found themselves dis-
placed later on.

Colonel Baker suggested that these were jobs for staff rather than
for the Advisory Committee and Mr. Gaspar said that the number of girls
requiring training must be ascertained, and the various problems of train-
ing – subsidies and so on, dealt with after that. On these questions,
recommendations would be required from the Committee, but until more
information was forthcoming from National Service Department, District
Advisory Committees could do very little.

It was moved and seconded –

“That the question of a survey of industry for the employment of
women be deferred in the meantime until Mr. Bockett gives the
Committee more information.”

Colonel Baker pointed out that with the appointment of Mr. Heslop
as Research Officer and Miss Boxer assisting him as far as the women’s
side was concerned, the means of assembling such information promptly
were available, and liaison could be maintained with the Organisation for
National Development on the subject of relevant developments.

Following the collection of information on a National basis, the
Committee was to draw up and submit a policy report on the employment of
women, keeping in mind not merely temporary expediency but permanent
congenial employment for them. Investigation would be required into
facilities already available for training, and the need, if any, for
schools and courses to be set up. Periods of training and probation
would need to be decided, subside rated worked out and matters such as
industrial welfare investigated.

It was agreed that –

(a) Research Officers should obtain all the necessary information
from the National Service Department in regard to openings in
different industries, and following that, this Committee would
go into the question of which they considered to be suitable
types of occupations to try and encourage women to enter,
either by paying a subsidy or otherwise.

(b) That having the list from Mr. Bockeet of what he considered were
occupations essential in the National interest and the number
of vacancies there, this Committee would then investigate all
these occupations and sort out the ones which girls should
be encouraged to enter.

In regard to Question 4, information as to the wishes and
intentions of service personnel would be available on the grounds of a
census already in hand. Industrial and private employees were not
dealt with yet and the question was a difficult one, but it was agreed
to defer consideration of this matter until findings from National
Service Department were available.