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Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3023, 9 March 1917, Page 5

BACK TO CIVILIAN LIFE

DEMOBILISATION PROBLEM, , The problem of demobilisation after the war is being closely investigated in Britain. The Joint Committee on hour Problems After the War, eet up by the various national labour bodies of the United Kingdom, estimates that the_ number of persons now drawing their living from Government funds who will be discharged'after peaco is assured will be hetween 6,000,000 and 8,000,000, seven-eighths of whom are men. The demobilisation of the army -will take years. The machinery in existence, worked at its full capacity, would permit tho demobilisation of only some 5000 men a day. At this rate it would take' two years to demobilise 3,000,000 men and four years to return to civilian lifoall the men now serving. The actual time required to restore the army to a peace basis depends on what that peace basis will he, and that depends entirely on the nature of the peace terms. There are, however, between 3,000,000 4,000,000 men and women whoso discharge will begin the moment peaco Js declared. The Government will at once stop all new orders for munitions and will give notice to stop all running contracts, many of which aro terminable on 14 days' notice. One largo employer, tho committee declares, has already announced his intention of discharging 1000 women within 24 hours of the declaration of peace. The suggestions for filling the gup between the war work and peaco work made by the committee consist of an extension to the munition workers of tho provision made for soldiers. Every discharged soldier will receive a month's furlough on full pay when he is discharged, a free railway ticket to any place m the United Kingdom that he may select, a money gratuity, and a year's unemployment benefit, whenever unemployed. It is suggested that tho Government should provide for discharged munition workers similar privileges and organised facilities for obtaining new employment. London Education Committee decided by 1G votes to 0 that teachers who were conscientious objectors, and who wero undertaking non-combatant service or work of national importance be not employed in council schools for the duration of tho war, and that teachers who, after making an appeal for exemption on conscientious grounds, wo medically oxamined and found unfit for service be given one month's notice that thov will "not be employed in council echoole for the duration of tho iwar. ■