FRANCE AND HER DISABED SOLDIERS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3143, 13 November 1922, Page 7

FRANCE AND HER DISABED SOLDIERS.

Attention lias been called at Homo to the efforts made by France to find employment for her soldiers who, broken in the war, have so far recovered as to resume their places in the industrial market. Many, unable to follow their old callings, had to be reeducated for other trades and professions in tin- various training schools, and when trained the preoccupation of the Government was to find them positions. A conversation J have had today with an official at the Ministry of Pensions, writes a Paris correspondent, has enlightened inc as to the machinery in operation in France for finding employment for disabled soldiers. Let it be stated at the outset; that though the results have been good, better were hoped for. And the fact that the number of mutilated men absorbed is not so large as had been expected has led the Government to devise a supplementary scheme, which is at present under consideration and will in due time be brought before Parliament in the form of a Bill. If this Bill is passed in the form as envisaged at present, then it will mean that the principle of giving preferential

treatment to disabled men in certain proportions as applied in the State departments, municipal services, and offices and industrial concerns controlled 'by the municipalities and Departments of France Avill be applied to private employees. At present there is no obligation on the part of employers to "find work for disabled men. No compulsion of any sort is put upon them, but when the Bill of which I have spoken is passed and becomes law, it will make it obligatory for employers to employ a determined number" of men who were wounded in the war.

It is useful to indicate how the scheme of finding work for these men works at present. It is directed by the Ministry of Labor, which has established something like fifteen district offices throughout France," mainaged by representatives of the Ministry, who receive offers of employment and applications for work: These jobs arc filled by mutilated men if they are considered suitable, or by ordinary workmen in search of work. In addition, there is a sub-section in each Department of France, and also a branch in connection with the national organisation, which concerns itself with the interest, for France has not by any means a serious unemployment problem to grapple with. It was different two years ago, when the unemployment question caused some alarm, and money had to he given to the out-of-works as doles have to be furnished in England now. The situation was coii'sideirably eased by work being found on the land for something like 70,000 men, including a large number of disabled soldiers. Many of the latter have been specially trained in the schools of re-education, and 1 bear that some of them have since become peasant proprietors. The State finds work for disabled men bv two systems of administration, in addition to an auxiliary method. In each Governmental office a certain number of places are reserved for broken soldiers. And the same rule applies to industrial enterprises subveutioncd by the State. The Communes and Departments have followed the example of the Government. Departments which possess small railways reserve jobs for a certain number of men. This principle of reserving places is set forth in the law of April 17, 1!)1(>, and is made obligatory in regard to the proportion and conditions by a decree issued the same year. Tin's system lias not, as 1 have indicated, had the results that were anticipated, for there are many disabled men yet to be absorbed. Hence, the proposed Bill for reserving a determined number of places for those men in private concerns.