REPARATION COMMITTEE

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue LXXIV, 15 February 1919, Page 5

REPARATION COMMITTEE

HAWERA BOROUGH COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE.

At th« meetiing. of tfce Hawera Borough Council last night the Mayor (Mr ±*. Lhxon) referred to the proposed ftepatriation Committee to be appointed for Hawera. The Council, ne said, would be entitled to one representative. He' wa* sure they all recognised; their duty in regard to.' the repatriation of the returned soldiers. They did not expect employers to dismiss men in order to make room for soldiers, but they did ask timt those firms some of whose men had gone to the war should make it possible for. them to return to their old positions. He was sorry to- say that there ~were some employers employing young i men who had not beea to fight for" their country, and that he knew of two or three soldiers who had applied for employment, although, quite capable, had been turned down.. ±£c felt so strongly on this matter that he was prepared to move in the direction of bringing it beiore the Government if the business people failed to. do thefir duty, in this respect. Cr Gumming: Hear.;, hear. The Mayor, continuing, said business firms were showings a. want of patriotism in employing young girls where returned soldiers could^ be employed. He hoped the Hawera Repatriation Committee would be-a., live committee working in the interests^ of- the returned boys. Cr Hayton moved that the Mayor be appointed the Council's* representative on the committee. I Cr Bone seconded.. Cr Goodwin, in referring to the Mayor's remarks about girl labor, said he thought something should be done to encourage young women to make hories for themselves. , Gr Cummling: Give decent wages to men and you then encourage them to get married. : ".,'"■" Cr Goodwin: Men fihould work for the wages and make. bJomes for the women. * Cr Reid also spoke of the want of patriotism on the part of. some people, whose patriotism, he declaredj was their pockets. The motion was carried.'