WHEN WAR IS OVER

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3079, 9 May 1917, Page 8

WHEN WAR IS OVER

THE DISBANDED ARMY REABSORBING THE SOLDIER INTO CIVILIAN LIFE GOVERNMENT'S PROPOSALS STATEMENT BY ATTORNEY- , CENERAL. The problem of providing means for the employment of New Zealand soldiers when the war is over has for some time been receiving the earnest consideration of the Discharged Soldiers' Information Department. The department, since its establishment in iylo, has by its effective system and organisation succeeded in placing in employment some hundreds of returned men who needed assistance to find work; but when peace conies and thousands of men in a body come back to the Dominion every month it is obvious great difficulties will confront the Department. The, question of how these difficulties would be met by the Government was discussed yesterday in an 1 interview a reporter had with ,the Hon. A. L. Herdman, Attorney-Gen-eral, who administers the Discharged Soldiers' Department. The , One Minister Idea. . "I have read, and at different meetings listened with interest," said Mr. Herdman, "to the criticisms and suggestions made by members of the Returned Soldiers' Association upon the question of the employment l of discharged men. The .Discharged Soldiers' Information Department having to fnd its way over unexplored territory without the aid of precedent welcomes criticism and suggestions. I agree that ',>f practicable 'Wierp should be .on*! Minister only contrnlliuo; and administering matters relating to returned soldiers, and such an arrangement will. I imagine, be made when the war is </ver and the Minister of Defence is relieved of the arduous work of recruiting'and training and dispatching soldiers to the front. At present the' Minister of Defence deals with the soldier whilst, lie is a soldier, and the. War Pensions Department is under his control. The Hon. Mr. Russell provides hospitals and curative treatment for the disabled man. The Minister of Lands settles I soldiers on the land, and the Discharged. Soldiers' Information Department finds the ex-soldier employment and willingly acts as his guidp and friend by supplying him with information aiid hv prosecuting inquiries for him. It is argued that if the various functions emimprafpd above wpre performed by one Minister oruauisation could he simplified, and th" discharged soldipr seeking relief woul'l not. in hisstnmele for his rights. V cut off from the oliiect which ho wishes to attain by red tnpp. entanglements, and his head I would not wow dizzy in an attempt to muster the mpaninpr of the pile of bewildering literature thrust upon J-.im by philanthropic. ai»l enthusiastic Government official'!. I am sure that the pronosal of the Returned Soldiers' Association is sound, aiul I hopo that when the war is over' tlip work now performed bv officers of the Discharger! Soldiers' Information Department will he continued bv the Department to which it properly belongs."

A Ble Task. "I also agree with the gentlemen belonging to the Returned Soldiers' Association, that the problem of making adequate provision for the large detachments of men that will return to New Zealand after the war is over is one of supreme difficulty. I wish to assure these gentlemen that a gr<>at deal of anxious thought has been devoted to this subject by the officers of the Discharged Soldiers' Information Department. As far back as the- beginning of December last a memorandum containing the details of what, 1 think, is a practicable scheme was submitted by mo to members of the Government for consideration. We can deal comfortably with small contingents ol returning soldiers (so far up to May 3, 7712 men have returned, and we have disposed of 6589 men, and included in the balance are men still in the Army, men in hospital, and men who havo not been reported on),' but we contemplate with a certain amount of alarm the position that will arise vhen peace ensues and men return not in hundreds, but in thousands. It is.obvious that it will be necessary to abandon (except in the case of disabled men) one feature of our present system—the personal interview. If men return at the rate of, say, uOOO per month, it will he impossible to ascertain by direct personal interview in each case the personal wishes of each man."

What is Done Now. "You probably know something of the process which is in vogue at present. We meet the transport on arlival. __ We speak to each man. We hand him a card apprising him of, the existence of the department, and acquainting him with the nature of Die assistance which the Department affords. Later on, when he is about to (k>. discharged from the Army, or when ,he has actually been discharged an officer in. the Government .service calls upon him, and endeavours to ascertain what his personal wishes on the subject of employment arc, and having obtained this information,, the officers of the Discharged Soldiers' Information Department bestir themselves to secure him a berth that will best suit his condition and personal wishes." TMe Other Soheme. "This, briefly, is the modus opcrandi at present. To meet the new conditions which will arise when the war is over, the following arrangements are suggested :— 1. That to avoid congestion, Uie Defence Department he requested to endeavour to arrange that the Now Zealand army abroad shall return to New tfea'lancl gradually ami by drafts at regular intervals. This will avoid congestion, and give, officers of my own and the other Departments concerned some rhanco of dealing with the men effectively. 2. That tile lists giving a description of each man returning, winch are at present prepared by thn Defence TVpartment for the Discharged Soldiers' Information Department in respect of invalided men. should also he similarly, prepared by Defence officers on the transports during the voyage in respect of healthy men returning to bo disbanded at the end of the war. 3. That tlip lists when compMod bo handed to an officer of the Discharged Soldiers' Information DoDiirtment on the arrival of the transport. 4. That in the mm of soldiers who return invalids the existing practice of mooting them on arrival »■•/! of siilwqniMitlv interviewino! them personally bo continued. 5. That in Hie case of soldiers vlin return to New j n their normal state of health, a Discharged floldicrs' .'lnformation Department officer or officers should

meet each'transport and deliver to each man n letter couched in the following terms:— 'NOTICE TO EETCRNED SOLDJKRS. The Government has established the ahovo Department with the, object of assisting discharged soldiers to securn suitable employment and to obtain for them any information of which th'ev may stand in need. The Department exists for the pnrposeof helpinp- the, soldier who returns to Aew Zealand from service abroad, and is anxious to be of service to him. In addition to the assistance given by the Labour Department in the matter of finding employment, committees have been set up in the principal towns to assist the Information Department m its duties. These local committees are advised of the names of men requiring employment and of the nature of the work which each man desires to obtain. Provision has been, made with the Agricultural Department for . the training of soldiers in general farming dairying, fruit-farming, poultry raislnc bee culture, market eardenine etc. The New Zealand Society of Accountants has undertaken to "simply r,v> e clerical training, including book-k«™ IUC and general office practice, to" nnrtjally disabled' soldiers accredited' by the Department. A special land settlement scheme has boon formulated for the benefit of discharged soldiers, and is being administered by the Lands Department Arrangements. have also been made with technical schools to teoch men new trades where t-hov have been rendered incapable of following their former occupations. Any returned soldier who desires further information rpoenrdinc; nnv of the foregoing matters should write .if. C wo to the Information Department for the fuller particulars desired. All communications from or on behalf of soldiers should he addressed to the officein- charge, Discharged Soldiers' Information Department, Aitken Street Wellington, and the regimental numher should always be jrivon ns well as the soldier's name and oddress. VB.—lf you desire the Department's resistance in obtaining work, ml up and return through the post the annexed application form, when the matter will receive immediate attention and the Department will do its best to find you suitable employment. (Every soldier will also bo supplied with a form on which he will be asked t<> answer a series of questions as to whether he is well or sick or wounded, as to the occupation he followed before the war, and as to his ideas about his future work.) 6. That if the physically fit soldier when he is discharged from the army has not lurnished the application for assistance which forms part , of the first communication addressed to him, he should be written to again in the following form:—

As I have not heard from you in connection with the communication explaining the objects of this Department, which was hamled to you at the time of your return to New Zealand, it is assumed that you do not desire the assistance of this Department in obtaining'employment. If, therefore, I do not hear from you to the contrary during the colli so of the next fortnight, I shall remove, you name from the Department's list." If, on the other hand, you require the Department's services, kindly fill up and return the enclosed application form. In any case, should you at some later datp desire the Department's assistance in obtaining employment, and will communicate with me to that effect, the matter will receive- my immediate and best attention.

Finding Employment. Next comes the question, how is suitable employment to : ,be found for all the men who return after the war? It is certain that the process of demobilisation will be gradual, and the speed with which it will bo accomplished will depend upon the transports available. But whether demobilisation be fast or slow, the work of finding the men employment must proceed systematically. V/hen peace is declared we shall find approximately 15,000 men in our local camps or in transports in port, or' in transports near New Zealand. The men may get leave for a short period, but as soon as that leave expires the local employment market will be inundated! with this large accession of material. Ido not anticipate that there will be any great difficulty in arranging for tl\e employment of these men. They will be in good health. They will have but recently left employment. Most of them will return naturally to their former occupations, and those who cannot be 'disposed of in that way will probably find their services readily requisitioned because of the scarutv of labour in the country.

in the Transition Stage. "But whatever happens, many discharged soldiers not within the category just mentioned are certain to look to the State for assistance to obtain a suitable means of earning a living, and it will be the plain duty of the State to find it for them. The first, drafts to return may become absorbed in the normal life of the Dominion without tho helping hand of the State, but it is certain that when the last* contingents set foot in New Zealand the problem of placing t!>e\a satisfactorily will become serious. By that time the normal demand for clerks, farm and station hands, tradesmen, labourers, and others who havo service to otter may have bsi-n satisfied, and then will arise the now! for artificial employment to title the discharged soldier over the. transition stage, between leaving thu Army and obtaining civil work through tfo natural gateways. Until the gateway opens for the soldier it will bo the duty of the Government to look after him, and this can only bo tfone by improvising work.

"I shall indicate what I think should be done, and what 1 propose recommending the. Government to do.

First. —That a substantial sum of money be. provided for the purpose of undertaking works of utility, upon which discharged soldiers can be useful!} , employed. Second. —That the Public Works Department be directed to prepare, a schedule of works of public utility which if put in hand will afford employment for discharged soldiers Third.—That a 'similar direction be given to the Lands Department. "(On tins point I am not certain, but I imagine that the Lands Department could perhaps employ men as foresters or gardeners at .the State nurseries, and could initiate, such, work as hushfelling and preparing land for Bettlemwit.; Pourtli.—That the local bodies of tbe Dominion be requested to prepare schedules of works which they could undertake with the. consent and under the supervision of tiie Government. But no such

work should be commenced until the advisers of tlie Hovoriimont liavp certified that tho works are of public utility, thai, they are of a nature upon which discharged soldiers cwi be usefully employed, and that the general scheme has been approved by them. Viftli.—That, the law be altered to enable local bodies to obtain advances with the consent of the Government, or its advisers, and without tin; consent of the ratepayers for the purpose of undertaking works which the Government or it? advisers eonside,r to ho in the public interest, and upon

wliic'i discharged soldiers tan be usefully employed. Sixth.—That in connection with the works mentioned in the preceding pa nigra phs, all preliminary preparations,""such as the drawing of plans and tin; settling of spec? Mentions, ho comjileLcd forthwith, so that the works can be put in hand immediately hostilities cease, if the necessity for the work arises. "It should.bo noted that the works indicated above will create employment for roadmakers, gardeners, engineers foresters, railroad makers, bridge builders, carpenters, bricklayers, plasterers, paperhangers, bushfellers, fencers, and general labourers. Legislation Necessary. "To carry out the scheme, some legislation will be required, aiid it would be necessary to appoint a committee of .experts, for we have no engineers or constructors in the office of the Discharged Soldiers' information Department. All Must Help. "I hope that it will be understood that any sJlicme to improvise employment which the Government may decide upon will bo intended to supplement only the natural supply pf work in the Dominion.' We hope and''expect that ali discharged -soldiers will be speedily ami comfortably provided for in the normal indiistrial and commercial life of the country. I look to the merchants, the hankers, ihe farmers, the traders, the manufacturers, and to largo employers like the Publia Service Commissioner, the, General Manager of .Railways to come forward with'offers of assistance later on. They have already assisted generously and willingly, but later on the Discharged Soldiers' Information Department will be compelled to make; earnest appeals to them ior further help. Retraining of Workers. "In ■conclusion, I think that I should mention a. matter which is not apparently well known. The Government has not only arranged for free places for discharged men at.all the technical colleges throughout the Dominion, but it has authorised me, in deserving cases, wher? a soldier is unable to follow his old occupation, -to supplement his pension by making a reasonable contribution towards his board and lodging should it he necessary for him to live away from home whilst learning a new trade by means of the free place provided at the technical colleges. At the technical colleges a. variety of trades can be taught, and should any disabled soldier wish to get complete information about the teaching facilities that can bo offered al any institution he may name,. the. officers of the Department will be glad to obtain it for him."