AUSTRALIA'S MAN POWER.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17311, 28 October 1916, Page 4

AUSTRALIA'S MAN POWER.

Somo idea of tho number of single men of military age in the Commonwealth, who, on September 1, had not volunteered for war service, has been furnished by the Federal Minister of Defence. The figures prepared by the Commonwealth Statistician estimated that on September 1 there were in the Commonwealth 232,608 men between the ages of twenty-ono and forty-four years, unmarried, widowers or divorced, who had not onlistcd. This estimate wa3 based mainly on the results of tho war census and the record of tho subsequent enlistments and embarkations. Under the war census the men were classified' into three groups—fit, doubtful and unfit. After compilation of the return, Mr Knibbs had made the following estimates in regard to the single, widowed or divorced men in the Commonwealth who had not enlisted up to September 1: ."■ Between the »ge* of t*entr-one nnd thirty-

A certain number of these men were, of course, said* Senator Pearce, unfit for service, while numbers of others would be entitled to exemption. for various reasons: At the same time, registrations recorded in Victoria to elate i were sufficient indication that Mr Knibbs had not been very far out in his estimates. These indicated that if Mr Knibbs's figures erred at all they erred on the conservative side, and lie had underestimated, rather than overestimated, the number of men that would bo available for service. Asked whether, in the event of.it being deemed necessary to call up married men to the colours, the only sons of familiesat present exempt would be required to serve, Senator Pearce replied: "Tho Government is not calling up married men. The figures I have quoted aro a sufficient answer to such inquiries." Regarding the proposed exemption of harvesters and shearers who are being called up under tho proclamation for military training, Senator Pearce stated that the men must report for registration as required, but they should then mako application far temporary exemption. Tho military authorities were being instructed to recommend to tho courts the granting of such applications. Where it could be shown that the applicants were needed for either harvesting or shearing, exemptions would only bo granted for a limited period covering harvest time or shearing time, as the case might be. Instructions tfhich were being issued in regard' to these applications would apply to the whole of the Commonwealth.

four y«»rs: — Fit' " '.-, Doubtful . Unfit' : : : SO.itM' 82,377 13,492 . Total . 176,273 BetTrosn the age* of thirty-fire and fortj four years:— p'H 20.H2 .... Doubtful . . . . • 22,117 Unfit ..... 13,076 Total . ; • ..■ '• 56,233 Grand total groups in tho two age 232,50*