RETURNED MEN AND WORK.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 155, 30 June 1916, Page 2

RETURNED MEN AND WORK.

DO THEY EARN THEIR PAY? SOLDIERS' CRITICISM OF BUREAU. AND EMPLOYERS' DEMANDS. Numbers of men back from the war lave been prevented by various disabilities from resuming their former employment, and, as a result, they are meeting with difficulties in securing suitable work. In the report of the Discharged Soldiers' Employment Committee to the Auckland Patriotic League executive, on Wednesday, it was stated that although during the last six weeks employment had been found for 48 men. there were still S3 men listed for employment. The report went on to say that some soldiers had caused dissatisfaction amongst employers by not turning up on the day arranged to start and by giving up the work after staying for a very short time. When interviewed at the Soldiers' . Club this morning, numbers of returned men expressed indignation at the tone of the report. They contend that the whole system of the employment bureau is entirely unsatisfactory,, and hold that until it is placed upon a different footing the total of the unemployed will go on increasing. The men are strongly of the opinion that the bureau should be conducted by a paid expert who would devote the -whole of his time to the work. They point out that a properly conducted labour bureau, run as a commercial concern, makes serious endeavours to find work to suit applicants and not applicants to suit work. Asked what explanation could be offered by the men who annoyed employers by staying' for only a short time, a soldier who had" sufforSd somewhat serious injury at the front said that he was one of the offenders. He had secured a position at £3 a week, and was glad to get it as he was in need of the money for the upkeep of himself and his wile. Within a very short time he found that the work was too heavy for him, and ho had to give it up. Several other men have had simHar experiences. The men went on to say that caeca have been met with where soldiers hove been offered positions of recently enlisted men, only at a reduced salary, the employer expressing the opinion that as they are in receipt of a pension (usually a temporary one) the remuneration offered would be adequate. " They still want 20/ in the pound as far as our work goes, though," remarked another ,man with a never-to-be-forgotten acquaintance with Anzac Cove. When asked why the men did not take the excellent opportunities afforded them to go -on the land they pointed ont that until Mr. GnnsoD had. devised the scheme to train them they had'ho proper chance of getting experience. It was true that applications for men to go into the country to milk and do general work had been received, but, as a rule, the wages offered were so unattractive that even if men were sufficiently strong tohcy would not readily go on to the laud , under such conditions. Appreciative reference was made to the action of a local boot manufacturer who had exhausted exceptional facilities to returned men to learn the trade, and was also paying the men good wages. The men say thlot they realise that for twelve months or so, until they regain something of their lost strength, they will probably cause any employer some inconvenience; but they, nevertheless, believe that there are employers who are sufficiently patriotic to give them preference over the sharker who may always be able to complete the whole U> 9 - hours in a month's work.