EX-SOLDIERS AND PUBLIC SERVICE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 292, 29 August 1918, Page 4

EX-SOLDIERS AND PUBLIC SERVICE

COMMISSIONER'S REMARKS ON RESIGNATIONS. Recently the number of resignations of returned soldiers from tho I'ublio Service was the subject of comment and questions. The matter was referred bv tho Hon. G. W. Russell to the Public Service . Commissioner, who has roplied. _ _ Tho Commissioner stated that as practically all the men concerned were 011 temporary work (which, generally speaking, could have become permanent after the settlement of the superannuation difficulty), they were rot asked for their reasons for leaving, therefore,'it was only possible to discuss the matter in general terras. . From inquiries it was ascertained that returned soldiers disliked the positions of nigbt-watchnieu or night attendants in telephone exchanges. Indeed, they did not like any night work if it meant loneliness.

It was also known that in- some cases men had taken up work beyond their strength. They had bsgui too soon. The majority of the me a appointed were engaged away from tho districts where they had lived formerly, and many took an opportunity to return to - suitablo work in those phces. There, was also tho fact that many of the discharged soldiers had pensions which made them independent of continuous work. , . It is stated that a similar disinclination to stay long in tho Public Semco was noticeable among numbers of men who returned from the Boer vnr. The Commissioner rennrked that lie was not surprised, in the circumstances, at the resignations. He nelisred that in the same circumstances appointments from the civilian population 011 the same would show tin* same result^ It had been stated that the positions offered had been merely casual, but that assertion had been made under a misapprehension. The great majority of the returned soldiers who accepted work in the Public Service had received positions which could have been made permanent eventually.