RETURNED. SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2774, 18 May 1916, Page 6

RETURNED. SOLDIERS

' - CIVIL EMPLOYMENT i' WORK OF THE DEPARTMENT The measures being adopted by the , " Hon. A. L. Herdman and his Department ' tor securing the return, of '.discharged fcoldiers to civilian employment were fully reviewed in a report presented to . Parliament, yesterday afternoon. The report • is a 'full and comprehensive one, and shows that, tho authorities' are fully alive to meeting the circumstances of the men individually and collectively. Special attention is paid in one see- • tion ;of the report to the topic of '"train- .. ing tho men for farm work. "To. meet the case of soldiers who have ■ lad i no previous experience in farming," it .is stated, "arrangements have been - made with'the. Department of Agriculture to undertake tho training of a limited . ' . -number, of men at the various State farms in general-farming,-dairying, fruitfarming, poultry T raising, bee-culture, etc. It was thought that partially , disabled men in receipt of pensions might reasonably be expected to desire to take up small sections under the land settlement Bctieruo for the. purpose of poultryraising and other light branches of farm ■ work, - and - -that in theso circumstances "o-course of practical instruction- would often save loss of timo and money and consequent discouragement. Hp to the present tho opportunities afforded have liot bean taken advantage of, the men - almost without exception desiring employment of an: immediately remunerative character. The same remarks apply treuerally to the arrangements which have fceeii made for the training at the technical schools of men. who are unfitted to resume their previous occupations. Regulations ha.ve been gazetted under which the Government provides free places for ; ..jrien' certified to by the Information Department as (a) unfitted to re-enter their former occupations, and. (b) likely to bene- . fit by the pronosed instruction. . -.Amongst the offers of assistance which * the . Department has received from various quarters, none is more worthy of : special mention than that which has been - received from . the Society of Accountants .of.New Zealand. The council of the society has aporoved' a scheme under which free clerical training will bel afforded to ..partially disabled returned soldiers duly '-nocredited by the Discharged Soldiers' Information Department." ; , ' . A Warning Note. • -i-The report concludes:—"We are at pre'sent only at the beginning of our task. -■ Of, the men who have been; placod a considerable proportion have been taken into ■-Government and - municipal- employ, but - these avenues can only, provide; for. a ' - Email proportion of the men offering. I - ,-would. therefore very earnestly appeal to -nil those who have thei opportunity of ; offering employment to bear, in mind the claims of the returned eoldiorp. Particulars- regarding any vacancies available, ' including the wages offered and a brief : statement of the 'duties, will be. most .-gratefully, received by the officer in charge -. of the. Discharged Soldiers' Information Beparianent, aid .every- endeavour will be '•'"inade to- find .suitable men ''to , fill tlio .'■positions. \I feel I ought not ,to close -. this, memorandum without.' sounding a

. note' of: warning to'; men : and to emnloy- , «rs alike. ' It seams to _ be. assumea by returned' soldiers that'the Government is" able to find-employment for all tlie sol-' '" tliers who seek it.' 1 I' think that it is Just as well that the men should clearly understand that, anxious as the Government is to assist to the. utmost, it- cannot find billets for all. Tho capacity of "tlin Public Service Commissioner , to provide occupation for'returned soldiers is ; limited.' He'.gives preference to returned /'ioWiers when considering applications for "'"a?position, and '. lie. is actively - exerting himself. to.: find employment for soldier ."applicants;' but- he. cannot make posi- ' _tipns..,and he cannot, of course; dismiss .£ public Servants for the purpose of creafcJng..yacancies for returned soldiers. The .Stato is -prepared -to lead the way. in. the 'niatter of.-: finding employment ..for, the. ' menl but it cannot'do all, and.the work .which it. is . undertaking through . the ■.. E.iency of this Department will be of .little value . ' unless it is earnestly and strongly supported by the. private employers throughout the. community." . Locale of Unplaced Men. ; The progress report for {he current • week gives the. following schedule showing, the location of unplaced men;— . '"Whangarei, 5; Auckland, 69; Hamilton, Ji_Te-Kuiti,-1; Gisbonie, 5; Napier, 6; ...Hastings, 6; Bannevirke, —; Taranaki, 1; Wangamii, 6;'Taihape, ; Marton, 2; 3'; Palmerston' North,- 3j Pahia--tua. 1;-Wairarapa, 8; ; Nels6n, 6; Blen.i.'Jioiri)', 2;:Ch-ristchurch, 27; Ashburton,.l; . .teeymouth,- -4; -South:'.. Canterbury, 5; ' Oahiaru, 5; Otagio; 49;. Southland, 7; Wellington, 10*-;Vmiscellaneous,. 37;: total, ~,D7S. •'! ' '"Three or four of the -Wellington men . ..have now been plaoed, and the balance ■ desire;light'labouring work." ... .-.-When- the/ report was .'presented, Mr. T; if. Wilford inquirW whether there was any ".'procedure for giving aid to those men who jvere discharged in New Zealand ', as unfit to proceed; to' the front. Mr. Herdman: stated that such- men did-not properly crime within his Depart-i-tnent,'.but'"at" the same time' such applicants received every aid possible.