ARMY RELEASES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21009, 4 February 1943, Page 4

ARMY RELEASES

GOVERNMENT’S POLICY WORKING OUT PLAN WAR SITUATION BETTER (P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH. Feb. 4. The release of men from the army for industry was briefly discussed by the Prime Minister, the Hi. Hon. P. Fraser, in a public address last night. He said a plan was being worked out so that no unemployment wou H occur. Every month there was crincal action in the Solomons. The chiefs of staffs in New Zealand thought that the position was very much better and, therefore, the Government’s duty Wets clear. It was to look at the position and see what men could bp released to industry. Industry had been carried on, to the credit of the workers, both secondary' and primary, on farms and on the wharf and in the factories and mines, and in a manner never surpassed in the history of the Dominion. The production results had never been surpassed anywhere else. “We are examining how people can br released.” he said, "not to walk about unemployed, because as long as Labour is in power there will be no thousands of unemployed. The problem is how to. so arrange a reduction in army numbers—we are not going to call it demobilising, so that Tokio will rejoice—so that skilled men who will not have to remain iti the army to look after equipment will be released and absorbed in the right way according to a plan. The problem was how many men would be coinpolled to remain in the ranks. Whether it was liked or not. men had to look after the equipment, which had come to hand in response to New Zealand’s urgent requests during the last 12 months.”

When Labour came into power there was not a flyable aeroplane or an aerodrome and riobody knew how to organise an air force. The Government had to build up a force and the results were phenomenal. To-day, reconnaissance, bomber . and fighter aeroplanes were in the air ready to defend the country and some were actually in the Solomons and also guarding Fiji.