Soldier Salesmen

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVI, Issue 211, 24 August 1926, Page 4

Soldier Salesmen

TRAINING DISABLED MEN,

FOR REMUNERATIVE POSITIONS

An interesting address on what was being done for disabled returned soldiers fay the organisation which he represented was given at the Hastings Rotary Club’s luncheon yesterday by Captain 8, D. Rogers, M.C., V.D., Dominion organiser for the War Record Training Department of United Distributors. Captain Rogers said that it was not an easy task for him to make clear to them exactly what was being accomplished by his organisation. While the Government was doing its work*, and doing it well, in looking after and providing pensions for disabled returned men, there were individuals who were penalised even when in receipt of pensions. The Government had to deal with them by the mass method and individuals were bound to be penalised here and there. The War Record Training Department picked up these men doing odd jobs, trained them and gave them a start. For example the late Dominion organiser had been picked up trimming hedges and he was now general sales manager for Electrolux throughout Australia with a salary of £2O a week and overriding commission. The organisation, which had been thoroughly investigated by the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association, functioned by training men for speciality salesmanship — not through a college but by starting them right out in the practical field of selling, so that they came into conflict with all sorts and conditions of men and learned how to deal with any article they had to sell. There were many disabled men in New Zealand well-fitted with the brains and ability to do speciality sales work and all they wanted was an opportunity, and this was what his organisation gave them. The speaker’s own case was a good example. He had been picked up plucking fowls and when he took over the position of Dominion organiser he was earning £l5 a week. In reply to questions Captain Kogers said that the scheme had been started over in Australia where it had been working successfully for three or four years and it had been running in New Zealand for about twelvemonths during which time about 50 men had been put through. At the conclusion of the address Mr. T. Gill moved a vote of thanks to the speaker, which was carried with acclamation.