LEGACY OF WAR

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 11 January 1926, Page 10

LEGACY OF WAR

WORK FOR DISABLED MEN. WHAT IS BEING DONE IN' BRITAIN. LONDON, Nov. 21. Armistice Day, with its commemoration services for the dead, naturally turned one’s thoughts to all those thousands of men who gave to their country something even greater than liie, to those men who are sentenced to a lifetime of physical disability. It is well to be reminded sometimes of this legacy of the war, to make inquiry as to what is being done for these sorely handicapped men. Lord Roberts Memorial Workshops, St. Dunstan’s, the British Legion most people have heard of, but there are numerous private organisations which have sprung up and have as their object the co-operative employment of disabled ex-soldiers. Such a one is the Disabled Soldiers’ Industrial Company. One may take it as an example of very many other organisations' in all parts of Great Britain. Five years ago they started as frame-makers, but the enterprise was not very successful. Framemaking was continued, but they initiated a selling organisaton as well. They have gone in steadily for the last four years in this part of their business, and are now prospering. This company specialises in fancy leather goods, which it obtains direct from the manufacturer. Disabled men have their samples and carry on a canvassing business in all parts of London and the provinces. They cater in the first place for small shops which are not in the position t-o place a large enough order with the manufacturers or wholesale houses. Secondly, thev get into touch with the heads of welfare sections in large factories. or they obtain permission to leave samples with a representative member of the staff of banks, merchants’ offices, or other firms. They have built up their business on the principle of good value for money. Each canvasser obtains a small salary, and each and every one shares in the general profits of the firm. No man, of course, belongs to any workers’ union. They are all out to help one another. A certain proportion of the goods sold comes from the Leather Goods Company, of Bournemouth, another disabled soldiers’ manufacturing firm, which has hail an uphill fight, but which is now making headway and turning out excellent work. The canvassers necessarily have to give some proof of salesmanship. Those who fail are helped to other more congenial work. Another firm which does not pretend to be other than a profit-making concern nevertheless employs only disabled soldiers. This organisation is the agent for a brand of matches manufactured in England. A special label affixed to the match box indicates that men who have served in the war are associated with the sale of this particular brand.

A BUSINESS CONCERN

The history of the Lord Roberts Memorial Workshops is an interesting one. This instituton had the advantage of the goodwill of wealthy and influential people at its initiation. For a year or so it specialised in toy-making, which had a vogue owing to the fact that the toys were made by disabled soldiers. In due course the workshops were extended, generous donors supplied up-to-date woodwork machinery, and an extension was made in the variety of articles manufactured. The institution, however, had a difficult time, and failed to pay its way. Then the management took the wise step of selecting a practical manager with a high reputation in the trade. This was Mr W. E. Chester, who had spent over 20 years with the well-known firm of Messrs Waring and Gillow. He has been at (he Memorial Workshops for two years, and lias managed to set the establishment on a purely business footing, so that it may compete with well-estab-lished firms in the open market. Today it is necessary to take £IOOO a week in order to pay the wages, and this is more than done. it was necessary to live down the reputation for merely toy-making and to develop a'ong the lines of cabinetmaking. Brices are cut so tine in the wood-working trade that every penny !ms to he watched from the buying of the timber to the. carriage of manufactured goods. To make a profit it would be necessary to. have able-bodied men. As it is. the workshops can turn out a well-finished article and pay good wages to the employees. The new manager had to compromise and app int expert able-bodied cabinet-makers as foremen, and his own previous persona! connection with \he trade enab’ed Inin 1,-, convince prospective buyers that the disabled men were, producing work equal to that of any ordinal v linn.

At tin'* present time there tire 200 disabled men working in the establishment. A number of these are onearmed men, a much larger number are one-legged men, and the remainder have

various disabilities. There is a small Imsoita' ward on the premises where '.hose who require it may receive massage treatment. One large room is devoted to a canteen run by the men themselves,' profits going to reduce nrices. This room is used by the workers and their families in the evenings for card parties, concerts and dances. On the other side of Fulham Road are what are known a.s the War Seals Mansions, Imilt and endowed out of war seals, a scheme started by Sir Oswald Stol 1 during the war. liy some this is considered to he the best war memorial in existence. The building supplies accommodation for several hundred exservice men and their families in selfcontained flats, for which 7s Gd or Ss Gd a week in rent is paid. Most of those men working at the Memorial Workshops have their hom.*.s in the ’ll ansions.

FURNITURE FOR PRINCESS MARY. The workshops are now supplying a great amount of furniture to banks and offices; they have contracts for dttings in .severa l Government building schemes. Last year C4O,<M)O worth <d tables and chairs and other furniture was supplied to the army and navy canteens. A combined seat and ladder for use in shops is being turned out in thousands. Work is being done for many of the big joinery firms in London. Reds are being supplied to several o.f the West End stores. Mattresses are also manufactured, and recently upholstering lias been begun. Chair and table-making, and ad forms of plain cabinet-making is going on under up-to-date conditions, but in addition to this most extensive hand-painted and lacquer work is being done. A suite of bedroom furniture for Princess Mary’s home at Newmarket was a wonderful achievement. Lacquer work is under the control 'of Mrs Zigomali and Lady Dorothy Moore, who give their services. The former is an expert in the craft. The wife of an officer, her son fell in the war. and she is making this work her war memorial. A dozen men are occupied in this snecial work, and most of it is most heautifidlv done. Tt may be added, as a trade secret, that all the articles produced are toned down in such a way a.s to get rid of the appearance of newness.