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FORDE SAYS MANPOWER CURB
WOULD WEAKEN WAR EFFORT
CANBERRA, Saturday.; — The Acting Prime Minister (Mr.
Forde) said last night that if the use of manpower for un
essential purposes was now permitted, the scale of Australia's
striking force inevitably must be reduced and the Industrial
basis of the Commonwealth's war effort immediately
weakened.
TTE said that the power of "direc-
XJ- tion had been exercised very
sparingly in Australia.
Of all persons passing thrqugh
National Service offices, only one
per cent, had been directed.
He said the industries to which
the 54,000 persons had been compul-
sorily transferred, were: Rural in
dustries, including forestry and tim-
ber getting, 1100; munitions, aircraft,
shipbuilding, transport, 1200; hospi
tals and similar institutions, 800;
food, clothing and textile factories,
1600; miscellaneous supply factories,
700.
The N.S.W. Full Court this week
ruled that Manpower officers had no
power to direct persons to work for
private employers.
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