TRADESMEN FROM AUSTRALIA

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 262, 3 August 1939, Page 5

TRADESMEN FROM AUSTRALIA

Many Now Said To Have Left Work SCHEME REPORTED ONLY MIXED SUCCESS Dominion Special Service. AUCKLAND, August 3. It is believed that a large number of Australian building tradesmen, brought to the Dominion by the Government to work on the State housing scheme, have vacated their employment. Building contractors state that 01ficers of the Labour Department have been making inquiries among them in an endeavour to trace Australian tradesmen who have disappeared, and so far as can be gathered with very little success. It is assumed that most of the men concerned have returned to Australia after having enjoyed a visit to New Zealand, in respect of which their steamer fare has beeu paid one way by the Government. Conditions of employment, under which Australian workmen were engaged, required the refunding of passage money by instalments. Police officers are known to have been making inquiries for missing workmen who have defaulted in their financial obligation over the passage money. It- seems clear from the contractors in touch with the situation that the Government’s scheme to bring tradesmen from Australia has been a mixed success only. Bome men are fulfilling their contracts and are excellent workmen. The capacity of others has not been satisfactory. In some instances they have not been able to adjust themselves to the class of work demanded, in others knowledge of their trade appears to have been very slight. There has also been a certain amount of discontent at conditions encountered, particularly regarding restrictions imposed on the remittance of part of their earnings to relatives in Australia. Several builders express the view that there would be lesschance of disappointment if\the Government concentrated on importing tradesmen from England than Australia. If only for financial reasons. English tradesmen are less likely to return to their own country if they find some aspects of life in the Dominion irksome or disappointing. There is a big temptation for some Australian” workers to regard the opportunity to come to New Zealand in the light of a temporary visit only. Private employers who have imported Australian workers have also found in several instances that their stay in New Zealand was of short duration.