ALL MUST SERVE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 62, Issue 85, 21 January 1942, Page 6

ALL MUST SERVE

THE DEFENCE OF AUSTRALIA. WAR PRISONERS AND REFUGEES. 1 NATIONAL REGISTER ORDERED. United Press Association—Copyright J (Pee. 1.45) MELBOURNE, Jan. 20. The Minister for the Army, Mr F. M. F'r;rde, said to-day that he was determined that every person who could lawfully be made to give his services to Australia should ho made to do so. That applied to war prisnnois, refugees and citizens of Allied or occupied territories.

The Australian War Cabinet had concurred in this view, he--said. The Government would act to the very limit of its pewers. A message from Canberra says that immediate action to compile and maintain a decentralised national service register will be taken as a result ol the Federal War Cabinet’s decisions to-day.

The Prime Minister (Mr J. Curtin> said that as the register taken in 1939 had not fulfilled present requirements, the active co-operation of all State Government resources had been sought to compile up-to-date data on manpower resources, showing the mailpinver available in each military district for the armed forces and industry.

National service certificates would he issued indicating the nature of the work performed. National service offices would be established to administer the reserved occupations list and to determine exemptions from military service while ensuring that the military establishments received a full complement of manpower. These national service offices would also he the sole channel for the engagement of labour by all employers, Government and private. The Minister for Labour would be empowered to protect vital industries and conserve individuals whoso qualifications should not lie lost to industry. No person in a protected undertaking would he 'allowed to change his employment without permission.