MEN MISSING

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 29, 3 August 1939, Page 11

MEN MISSING

CONTRACTS BROKEN

AUSTRALIAN WORKMEN

(Special to the "Evening Pos^.")

AUCKLAND,. August 2.

A large number of 'Australian building tradesmen, brought to New Zealand by the Government to work on the State housing scheme, are believed to have vacated their Building contractors state that officers of the Labour Department have been making inquiries among them in. an endeavour: to trace Australian tradesmen who have disappeared.

So far as. can be; gathered,, the officials have met. with very little success. It is assumed that most -tit the men concerned have returned to Australia, after having enjoyed a. visit to New Zealand, in respect of which their steamer fare has been paid one way by the Government.

MIXED SUCCESS OF SCHEME.

The conditions of employment under which Australian workmen were engaged required the refunding of passage money by instalments. Police officers are known to have loeek making inquiries for missing workmen who have defaulted in their financial obligation over passage money. '

It seems clear from contractors in touch with the situation that the Government's scheme io bring tradesmen from Australia has been a mixed success, only. Some men are fulfilling their contracts and are excellent workmen. The capacity of others has hot 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 the restrictions imposed on the remittance of part of thfeir earnings to relatives in Australia. ENGLISH WORKMEN FAVOURED.

Several builders expressed the vieA* that there would be less chance of disappointment if the Government concentrated on importing tradesmen from England instead of 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 Avorkers 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 cases that their stay in . New Zealand was short. ' ; *