RETURNED SOLDIERS.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16209, 11 May 1918, Page 12

RETURNED SOLDIERS.

THE LATEST DRAFT,

(PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) AUCKLAND, May 10

Transport No. 15G ha'l a pleasant vovage, oxcont for tlic deatli of one Tt'oman passenger. Almost- all tho soldiers were walking eases. Many received their wounds at Passchendaele, and some in Messines and other engagements. There did not appear to be ninny crippled men, hut tho majority bore marks of active service. The Minister of Defencc and local officers visited the vessel after it was cleared, and gave a general welcome to the draft. The work of medical boarding was commenced Boon after C p.m., and was completed in the early hours of this morning. Apart from a slight preliminarv dc-lav, tho arrangements were quite satisfactory. The transport was berthed at eight this morning, when the troops disembarked. A large number of Main Body men who have gained commissions and honouis are included in the draft.

QUESTION* OF EMPLOYMENT

GRIEVANCES VENTILATED

The treatment being accorded to returned soldiers in tho matter of employment has been discussed by the executive of the Auckland Patriotic Association. Mr W. B. Loyland said there were .in Auckland returned men seeking employment who could do work at present being don© by others. If they were given such positions it would rcleaso men now filling them under the Defence Department and in other directions. . The latter could then return to their former occupations. Doubtless not all of them could gn to the front. The president (Mr .7. H. Gunson) said there were many complaints that tho claims of returned soldiers in respect of. employment were not receiving tho consideration they should receive. The belief was expressed that the oonditions tompiained of were general throughout the Dominion.

When seen subsequent]}-, Sir James Allen was asked whether the Defence Department was taking, or would take, any steps to replace men in its service who had not been to the front, lor various reasons, with returned sokliovs. Tho Minister replied that the Department had been giving preference to returned men for a considerable time, whenever they wore suitable for a particular job. Thcv were not always suitable. however, it *.-as not a fact, so far-as lie knew, that there woro returned soldiers suitable for employment under the Defence Department who were not getting such employment. The Department did not want to encourage returned men to tako up work in the Defence Department, because that work would on!y be temporary. It, was trying rather to encourage them to ;:o back to their previous occupations. It. would not bo kindness to put them out of work in which thc-y were formerly employed. There were very few returned men out of employment so far as ho knew, as the Discharged Soldiers' Deportment had found work for motl of them.

It was pointed out to the Minister that there was a growing fcoling that others were being employed in positions which returned soldiers could fill. "All I can say is: 'Let us have specific instances,' " said tho Minister. When asked whether, if specific cates weio brought under his notice he v.v.uld iustal returned men i u the positions now held under the Defence Department by men who had not been to the front, Sir James replied: "Yes, provided that, the returned men are equally capable of performing tho duties to the same degree of efficiency as the men at prestot performing them; Jtul I must say that it is not my duty to encourage a man to take a temporary occupation when he could get a permanent one. I know of.no cases of unfair treatment of returned men by my Department."