DIGGER FAVOURS GERMAN.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 245, 15 October 1926, Page 11

DIGGER FAVOURS GERMAN.

i'To the. Editor.) Sir,—Would you kindly allow mc space to reply to "10,442," whose letter appeared in your columns on Monday? "10,442" is not quite correct in what he states. The facts are as follows: —An application was made to the Returned Soldiers' Association for a man capable of laying down concrete paths. The man would be required to give an estimate of the quantities and materials for the job. I asked a Digger who had applied to mc for work, whether he was capable of taking this on. He stated that he had had experience in this class of work and thought he could do it. In order to make quite sure I told him to go and have a look at the job, and when he had seen what was required to call and see mc again. This he did, and on his second visit he informed mc that the job required more experience and knowledge than he had, and it would be necessary for a tradesman to undertake it. I looked through the unemployment register and could find no Digger who had registered as'being a tradesman in this class of work. The man I had offered the job then told mc that he had a friend who was a tradesman in concrete work and was out of work, who would like to take on the job, if the association would consent. Acting on the principle that it was better for one Digger to have a job than no Digger at a 'l, and never dreaming for a moment that a Digger would offer a chance of work to a German instead of to a brother Digger, I told him that if his friend prot the job and would employ him on it as his assistant, the association would raise no objection. Had the association been aware that the friend was a German, it would certainly not have agreed to any such arrangement, as this would «c quite contrary to its policy, which has been and always will be while in existence to do what it can to help the Digger first, last, and all the time. I may state that on reading- the letter written by '-10,442," I wrote to the employer in question inquiring if the facts were as stated, so that the matter might be taken up with the Digger himself. I trust that this explanation will satisfy "10,442." —I am, etc., E. H. SHARP. Secretary, Auckland Returned Soldiers' Association. "Concrete," dealing with the same matter, writes in part: The Returned Soldiers' Association had not a man able to take the job on, I therefore employed my own men. The association is free from any blame of my employing a