SINGLE MEN

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 286, 3 December 1941, Page 9

SINGLE MEN

RETAINED AT WORKSHOPS BAD FEELING ALLEGED (0.C.) CHRISTCHURCH, this day. "Retention of single men in jobs which could be filled by older men at Addington workshops has given rise to bad feelings at the shops," said the secretary of the Returned Soldiers' Association (Mr. E. F. Willcox) commenting on recent appeals against service for workshops employees.

Mr. Willcox said he spoke for returned men at the workshops. He had already told the Dominion council that if inquiries were not made there would be serious trouble between the returned and older men and the younger men eligible for military service. He had been told that the former soldiers had protested against "certain practices" adopted by the Railways and Defence Departments in the treatment of single men.

If the full facts were placed before the public, he. declared, there would be such an outcry that the Government would probably have to investigate the position. An assurance that no single man would be retained in civil employ ment subsequent to the calling up of married men unless he possessed specialised knowledge necessary to the national war effort was given by the Associate Minister of National Service (Mr. Wilson), replying to Mr. Willcox.

Mr. Wilson said that Mr. Willcox's statement gave a false impression. Care had to be taken to guard the country's war production and some single men at Addington could not be dispensed with until others were trained to take their places.

"It is not the Government's policy to regard any class or industry as entirely exempt from military service, and accordingly any postponements granted have been authorised only following very careful consideration of the individual circumstances of the case by the appropriate appellate tribunal."