REHABILITATION

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24503, 28 February 1945, Page 5

REHABILITATION

PROBLEMS OF RETAIL TRADE OPTIMISTIC FORECAST OF FUTURE -BUSINESS “The Press" Special Service, NELSON, February 27. “Rehabilifetion would appear to be the first and possibly the most serious problem we have to face, president (Mr W. A. Armstrong) at the annual conference of the New Zealand RetailersV Federation to-day. we wili, have to attend to the reinstatement of our employees as. required by the regulations, .and'as dictated by bur desire to do the very best we can for the men who' have gone through hardships ana danger to defend our Empire, in her, time of need. v “We have to realise that during the war period times, have changed, business conditions are different, but above all the men themselves have changed and their outlook will be different, They will take some time to - settle down, and we will have to be tolerant, in order to bring them back to a state of mind in keeping with post-war conditions, It will be difficult for most firms at the outset satisfactorily to employ all the men who want re-employ-ment, and to find suitable positions for them. ' . '•Many of these employees left us-as a little more than juniors, but will return as seniors, 5 entitled to the senior rate of pay, although lacking in the experience required to enable them really to earn that rate; Most firms will not cavil at that, feeling that the men deserve the best treatment that we can give them, but on the other hand, unless business is particularly buoyant, it may be difficult for many concerns to maintain the increased payroll that will accrue, when all the men are back. “I understand that some form of subsidy on wages is to be recommended to the Government to bridge the gap between the junior, and senior rates during the transition period, while these men are getting back to normal . ... A subsidy , scheme would undoubtedly be much cheaper, than the cpst of unemployment telief. “From the experience gained in 1919, 1 am quite sure that business will be very brisk for some time, perhaps, 12 months, after the cessation of all hostilities, and although we may have to face a slack period afterwards, that should be only a temporary phase, and; my. firm opinion is that when we eventually settle down to steady trade, we will not find a surplus of suitable employees.” * Mr Armstrong also referred to the part retailers would play in supplying the public with clothing, household goods, and furnishings after the war It was necessary for retailers to make every effort to have these goods ready for post-war demand, and unless production was vastly, improved in the near future, they were going to fall down on the job. “The officials of the federation . are seriously concerned about this matter,’’ he. said, “and hove explored every avenue in order to gain an improvement, but despite all their efforts, the outlook is still definitely bad. The present position is hopeless regarding furnishings , . . . and the furnishings section of the federation is endeavouring to arrange for a trade delegation to proceed overseas almost immediately, with the object of securing a quota of furnishing fabrics for New Zealand.”