DEMOBILISATION PLANS

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23321, 3 October 1945, Page 5

DEMOBILISATION PLANS

Australian Services Points System Adopted Uy Telegraph—N.Z Press Assa.—Copyrlghl (Rec. 7.30 p.m.l SYDNEY, Oct. 2. The general demobilisation scheme for the Australian Army, Navy and Air Force, affecting about 500,000 men and women began officially yesterday. Discharge is to be made under the points system, which is based on age, plus service, plus dependants. When the scheme gets well under way between 3000 and 4000 will be discharged a day. At present there are about 200.000 soldiers and airmen outside Australia, but these will probably be retained in the South-west Pacific for at least one and possibly two years. This is partly because 61 the decision not to allow the Japanese Government the use of its own merchant shipping for repatriation purposes. As a result Australians will have to be kept in the islands as garrison troops. Demobilised servicemen will find many problems to overcome in thenreturn to civilian life. Alreadv discharged men are finding it almost impossible to equip themselves with full civilian wardrobe. Suits, shirts and hats are in short supply. The manager of a leading city store said good quality suits would be scarce for another 18 months or two years In Canberra yesterday the chairman of the rationing commission. Mr A. W Coles, said thousands of civilians will have to wear their present suits for another year so that demobilised soldiers can be fitted out. Mr Coles said Australia’s present manufacturing output totalled 990.000 suits a year. Clothing Priorities To make certain that discharged servicemen could obtain suits the clothing trade should give them priority to secure at least one suit each. This would absorb about half next year’s output, said Mr Coles. Housing is the major problem of discharged servicemen. Mr D. J. McDonald. president of the Australian Legion of Ex-servicemen, says eight of every 10 ex-servicemen under 40 want to build. their own homes, but have no hope of doing so in existing conditions. Mr McDonald suggested that all homes built by the State in the next six months should be for ex-servicemen. It is estimated by the Rural Reconstruction Commission that 50.000 men from the Australian Services will want to settle on the land. The task of placing these men on properties on which they can be assured of making at least a living is one of the biggest that faces the Commonwealth and the States. After the last war thousands of soldier settlers failed in the struggle to make a living and more than 60 per cent, of the settiers eventually lost or gave up their farms. The Commonwealth and State authorities have already established a code which, if adhered to. should greatly help to settle men on the land successfully. The code consists of granting certificates of competency to men judged qualified to become good farmers and the arranging of training for those needing only experience to fit them for farm work.