RETURNED SOLDIERS IN FURNITURE TRADE

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 156, 28 March 1922, Page 5

RETURNED SOLDIERS IN FURNITURE TRADE

COMPLAINTS BY MR. HOL- ' LAND, M.P. By telegraph—press association Westport, March 27. Speaking at a Labour gathering, Mr. H. Holland, M.P., criticised the recent report of the Repatriation Department, and said that the Department was not paying very much attention to returned soldiers after having, placed them in an occupation. Quoting from an official statement of the Federated Furniture Trades Union, Wellington, he said that of 36 returned soldiers who had entered the Wellington furniture trade since 1918. by December last 24 had left the trade. Of the twelve who remained, three were unemployed, one was employed on half-time, five were still finishing, and only three were working ns journeymen. The union had accorded the men every facility in the direction of a fair deal, but the Department seemed to be working without much plan, for while there were polishers in tho trade who could not find work, these returned men were being taught polishing. The union wanted to know what advantage it was to teach men a trade if, when their time was finished, there was 7 no work for them at the calling. It was further alleged that some private firms had . attempted to get tho labour of returned men as cheaply as posible, and there was a demand that these firms should be made to keep their returned 'soldier employees nt .work on the minimum rate, instead of displacing them at a stage when they were in need of a little more experience. Ha expressed the opinion that it would prove of wide interest if tho Repatriation Department would furnish a complete list of returned men who had entered the furniture trado in every centre, and those who were still in the trado.