MANPOWER CONTROL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 April 1943, Page 5

MANPOWER CONTROL

MEASURES IN AUSTRALIA STRIKING A BALANCE. CHANGE-OVER TO WAR EFFORT. Within 12 months of Japan’s entry into the war, nearly 500,000 Australian men and women had been swung from civilian work and added to those already on direct war work or in the Services. In New Zealand in the same period about 120,000 persons have been swung into war production or drafted to the Armed Forces, and on a per capita basis there is little difference between the efforts of the two countries. Since the outbreak of war with Germany, the number of Australian factory workers making goods for civilian use has been reduced by 63 per cent from 534,500 pre-war to 194,000 today. It is interesting to note that in New Zealand nearly 60 per cent of the factory workers are engaged in wartime industries. In the engineering industry the percentage is 84, and in the woollen, footwear and biscuit industries it is 85.

When Japan swept southward in the first half of 1942, both New Zealand’s and Australia’s fighting forces had to be given more and more men. Whether these men could be spared without interfering with essential production was the first problem tackled by both Governments.

In Australia and New Zealand many manufacturers were restricted with the object of providing more labour, machinery and raw materials for war work. Industry and commerce were called on to eliminate all non-essential activities. Civilian living conditions were hit. The daily life of every Australian and New Zealand family was touched—-in some instances to the point of sacrifice. In Australia bread zoning in six capitals released 1,500 men, 1,400 vehicles, and saved £700,000 a year. In New Zealand zoning has been carried out in practically all urban and rural transport. The Commonwealth manufacturing industries were much more comprehensive than the Dominion’s and in many instances the change-over was more difficult in Australia. Disemployed jewellers were given jobs at defence works, drilling su-per-fine bunsen burner jets for which neither the drills nor - the skilled workmanship had previously been available. Refrigerator manufacturers were switched to making gas producer units to save liquid fuel. Toymakers learnt to make military uniforms. Carpet manufacturers swung over their looms to the newly-developed flax industry and made hammocks for the Navy. Stained glass manufacturers turned to the glazing of munition shops. Oils and chemicals that went into cosmetics were saved for bombs and shells. New Zealand’s change-over was just as drastic, but naturally on a smaller scale.

Since 1939 manpower in the armed forces has been increased 27 times, and in munitions and other direct war work 38 times. New Zealand has gazetted for service every fit man between the ages of 18 and 45, and has the right to call on every man to take up arms should it be held wise. Australian manpower in rural industries has decreased by one-third, in factories making divilian goods by twlo-thirds, and in other civil industries by more than one half. These are the changes made in the Commonwealth in the redistribution of labour, controlled by the War Organisation of Industry Department. They have been made so that Australia might get still closer to its necessary goal of a total war effort. On the other hand New Zealand’s rural manpower has decreased 17 per cent, but there have been all-round increases in production. Men and women have been drafted into factories, and in spite of the drain on manpower by the armed forces, the Dominion’s secondary industry is greater than ever. This has been achieved by the curtailment of non-essential industries. In both countries it is the winning of the war alone that counts.