MAJOR BATTLE ON PRODUCTION FRONT

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 123, 27 May 1942, Page 8

MAJOR BATTLE ON PRODUCTION FRONT

AUSTRALIA'S GOAL

Halt In Call-IJp Of Rural, Workers t nitpfl Pit.,* ion — fVip.vrlKht. Her 2p m. ('A \ 111'.l! KA . this day. ' An additional men and women win |,c requin d for 'lie armed forces for the munition., -hip- , building and aiicrati proclaiming; and for allied work up to December. I'l I J This i - • oi the decision - | reached In the War Cabinet. The: number d> e.- nol uii hide additional ' labour requiri d In pri\ ate munition j ma 11' i fact i i rei... no" laboi ir rei iu i ri-d I tor the produi lion of stores and sup ! plies lor the Mla'd lorre;. ; The present oihcial estimates are I iliar oi the ;:|.s ono requu ed about 1 ')() 000 will be women. 11 lough Ih; s ! iigurc nia> have lo be increased sub- ] -taill lall\ within a few months. Many of the women required are lor ihe arm;, lo replace thousands of [ men lor c< inibatant duties. The ] jrni.v ha-. recruited about (loot) | women Into various non-combatant | services, and this figure is expected to riso to about 20.000 by the end of the vcar. Knoiiuh Women Registered | Plans have not been completed for •lsing women in industr.v. but the War Cabinet has decided that women bhia II be utilised in industries which hitherto have been restricted to men ar.cl youths. It is authoritatively ' stated that so many women are already on the waiting lists for war employment that the question of the conscription of women does not yet arise. The members of the War Cabinet believe the new scheme will go far to bring the manpower problem under full control. Regarding the Cabinet's decision that the maintenance of existing ships and planes must take precedence over new production, it is learned that there is no immediate likelihood of any war production programmes having to be curtailed, but the Government has decided that if labour becomes so short that it is a question of the maintenance of existing equipment or the production of more, maintenance must come first. The drastic curtailment of nonessential activities throughout the whole national economy decided upon by the Cabinet includes public works and services, factories, commerce and finance. Pending the completion of investigations in connection with rural industries, no further call-up for the army will be made of men engaged in full-time primary production in the rural areas. All Must Accept Sacrifices "The battle of production has entered a crucial stage," said the Prime Minister. Mr. Curtin. "I'pon the success achieved in the next few months may very well depend our ability to back victoriously our fighting forces. The Government's programme involves dislocations and also a good deal of going without amenities and services enjoyed In peace time. The Government has given its orders In the name of Australia and for the safety of Australia. All sections of the community must accept the task and responsibilities imposed." All export production will be reviewed to ensure of manpower being used only for necessary production. For the time being the maintenance and repair of existing ships and combat aircraft will take precedence over all new production. It was also decided that the available railway trucks should be employed for seven days a week and that the passenger accommodation should be standardised and a rigid priority system should operate in regard to inter-State passenger travel.