POST-WAR PROBLEM

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 120, 16 November 1929, Page 8

POST-WAR PROBLEM

PARTIALLY-DISABLED MEN

EMPLOYMENT SCHEMES

(By Telegraph.)

(Special to "The Evening Post.")

• ■ AUCKLAND, This- Bay. - At no time since the Great War has there been a termination of the duty to provide useful ana health-giving occupations for returned soldiers, said Sir James Gunson, president of the Auckland Provincial Patriotic and War Relief Association, in giving evidence before the Returned Soldiers' Economic Pensions Commission yesterday. Toward the solution of the problem which has arisen, Sir James suggested that the Government and organisations concerned in the work since 1914 should continue their activities -with the cooperation of all classes of. the community. He advocated the subdivising of labour in both town and country to enable employers to use the services of men not capable of normal effort or output, and the stimulation of NewZealand industries by a revision of the Customs tariff. Mr. A. G. Lunn, past president of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, said that if a sound and economical scheme were brought into operation, it would undoubtedly receive the full sup? port of the chamber. In regard.^? the economic pension the chamber-was of opinion _ that the present system;7 by which, if the man obtained w'prl? and earned money, the pension was corres-* pondingly reduced, tended to demoralise him, and>discourage the- desire to work. It was thought that this should b/a remedied, and that the reduction of pension should represent only a part of the earnings. Mr. William Slaughter, officer in charge of the Auckland office of the Department pf Labour, spoke in sup» port of the formation of a corps of commissionaires, as suggested by the committee of jio Returned Soldiers' Association. He was of opinion that this _ could be done without seriously undermining the principles of trade unionism, and if properly handled, such a scheme would enable the men concerned to regain their self*respe.et and self-reliance, and enable the majority of them to earn a living without mak. ing any serious Cjall on'the Government in the shape of subsidies- He thought that no scheme for absorbing those men in private employment would meet with any great success. Referring to the legislation which ivould bo required if these proposals were to be put into force, Mr. Slaughter said the effect on trade unionism in comparison with the results that could be achieved would be almost negligible, as only one union in which a, fair per« centage of members who .were.' ex-ser-vicemen would be affected, and then only in respect pf employment'by local authorities and public bodies. Statutory powers could be given, to the corps of commissionaries to register as an industrial organisation. ■ •