MANPOWER REQUIREMENTS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 78, 25 November 1943, Page 6

MANPOWER REQUIREMENTS

DELAY IN ARMY RELEASES CRITICISM BY FEDERAL CABINET Canberra', Nov. 24. Delay by the Australian Army in releasing men for the Federal Government’s manpower requirements has be -ii strongly criticised at a meeting of the full Cabinet. Three Ministers, Messrs Forde (Army), Holloway (Labour) and Makin (Munitions) have been appointed to investigate the delay. The Minister of Commerce, Mr Scully, is believed to have warned Cabinet that the whole of the Government’s primary production scheme was being jeopardised by the delay. Government officials state that unless a big proportion of the 15,000 soldiers required for rural industry are made available within the next fortnight many crops will be lost. Wheat and potato crops, it is stated, are nearly ready for harvesting while blowflies are becoming a serious menace to sheep in many districts.

Although the Government decided on Ist October to have 20,000 men released from the Army at the rate of 2000 monthly, only a handful of men are believed to have been made available so far. Some political commentators place the number as low as 200. In New South Wales alone more than 3000 applications for agricultural manpower assistance have been approved but few have been granted. Army headquarters has denied to Mr Forde that “moral suasion” is being used to prevent men leaving the services. Mr Forde said he was satisfied the Army authorities were doing all they could to hasten the discharges recommended by the manpower authorities.