SINGLE MEN AND THE WAR.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15395, 28 September 1915, Page 5

SINGLE MEN AND THE WAR.

To THE EDITOR OT "TOE THESS." Sir,—Writing under above, 1 wonder what the strong and sturdy single mon think of themselves, when they road of the number of married men enlisting. But they have reasons for not enlisting, I suppose. One young fellow said to n ? c ' ,">\hy should I-enlist when we have single chaps from the Old Country here and good jobs, and they won't go?" Ho said, "Go into the drapers' shops and warehouses and yon will find any amount of emigrants—single chaps and no ono dependent on them—who have ; not offered to go to the front." Now, if this is so, there is something wrong. Surely the retailers and warehouse people offer good inducement to single men to enlist. I believe every large drapery firm give the employees who enlist half pay and a guarantee of reemployment when they return. Another fellow put it this way: "How many of these emigrants who are single and have had work ever since they landed here in shops, warehouses, and factories, have enlisted? No fear of them joining the ranks. The most of them have motor-cycles, and go away from Saturday aftornoon until Sunday right—week-end spins they call it. Others _ havo week-end 'baches' at Brighton or Sumner." Others said, "Even now you find tho employers j?ivo preference to ono of these emigrants." Now, sir, if this is so, it wants stirring up. There has been a great number of assisted emigrants (single) landed in-New Zealand during the last five years, and if they have not offered for service they should bo asked some hard question.— Yours, etc., ' IF "NOT, WHY NOT?