ALL-IN EFFORT

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 126, 30 May 1942, Page 7

ALL-IN EFFORT

AUSTRALIA'S PLANS Half Population To Be Engaged In War Work Special Australian Correspondent. SYDNEY. May 29. Australia is geared for a trulv great war effort. By the end of this year half the Commonwealth's working population will be directly employed in war work—in the armed services or essential munitions, aircraft production, shipbuilding and associated industries. Of 318.000 additional persons to be drafted into the fighting services and war industries bv the end of Dectmber, 188.000 must be transferred from occupations in which they are now engaged. "The nation's way of life will be changed to an extent of which few people have as yet any real conception," savs the Sydney Morning Herald in an editorial article. At least 50,000 new war-workers will be women. Prom all quarters comes the demand for the wider use of women in the industrial war effort, and it is suggested that 100.000 women may be employed. Australia has 1,650.000 women between the ages of 15 and 45 and some 900.000 of these are married. Of 700.000 women wage-earners in the Commonwealth five-sixths are single. It is computed that at least 200.000 are at present engaged in non-essential work.

Women Demand Registration Women's organisations are demanding that a register be compiled of Australia's woman power, so that as little time as possible shall he lost drafting women to war work. They point to Britain, where 2,000.000 women will be absorbed in war work by the end of the year, and to America, where alreadv 10 per cent of the 5.000,000 workers in war production are women. The number is to be increased to 2,500,000 by the end of the year. From your correspondent's observations there is general realisation throughout Australia that the war cannot be won on the "business as usual" basis. The carnival spirit condemned by the Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Land Forces, General Sir Thomas Blarney, some months ago, has gone overboard. Comment that "seven million people must work and fight like hell to hold a Continent" gives fair understanding of the new Australian attitude. Of course some industrial disputes continue to occur—but they are lessening, which is important. These labour stoppages arouse increasing resentment among all sections of the community. The Prime Minister, Mr. J. Curtin, is now presiding over a confcrence of owners and workers in the coal-mining industry. He has already had several discussions with the owners and miners and has expressed the hope that as a result of the present conference stoppages in the industry will be ended for the duration of the war. Rifles for Xew Zealand Australia is now producing the service pattern. .303 Lee-Enfield rifles at a considerable rate of production. which is still being speeded up. Xew Zealand also draws from this source of production.

American correspondents have suggested that more economical use could be made of shipping space tiscd to bring war weapons from the I nited States to the Commonwealth. They point out that wider employment might be made of Australia's fine assembly industry making American-built aeroplanes ready for operational service. At present the shipment of these in their almost completed state is held to occupy extravagant storage space. Plan's are in train for organisation on the lines suggested.

N'o part of the industrial war effort is being ncglectcd. Faced with an acute rubber shortage, Australia is experimenting with certain noxious weeds as a source of supply. Rome Australian weed-saps have produced as high as 10 per cent of pure rubber. The Queensland Government this week voted a grant for the harvesting of what is called the rubber vine. Six hundred this vine are expected to yield SOOOIb of rubber to the acre—a small but valuable contribution to Australia's industrial war effort.