STRANDED IN LONDON.

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 115, 11 April 1930, Page 7

STRANDED IN LONDON.

NEW ZEALAND SOLDIERS. WORK NOTLBTAINABLE. : An official at New Zealand House referred a few weeks ago to the number of New Zealanders and Australians stranded in London at present. “I know at least six New Zealanders, all decent fellows, who came to England with a little capital, hoping to obtain work to enable them to benefit after their return home,” said the official. “They are mostly young accountants and architects. Some worked their passage, only to find that work was not obtainable. “The principal trouble is with New Zealand and Australian soldiers who married Englishwomen after the war. They went home with ther wives, who repeatedly urged them to go to England as soon as they had saved a few pounds. They complied on the chance of finding work. _ . “There was a happy reunion for a few days, followed by months of a hopeless quest for work. Finally, all became destitute unless their wives’ people were able to assist them. It costs me at least £IOO a year, as we have no fund to help such cases, which often are very sad.”

. AUSTRALIAN ACTRESSES. NO POSITIONS AVAILABLE. Six Australian actresses who arrived in London recently said they had been obliged to leave Australia in the hope of finding work in England, only to discover that the position there was not much better. At least one West End theatre has gone over to tho talkies, as well as three of the best-known variety theatres. Others, like the London Pavilion, if not showing revue, put on talkies exclusively. The prospect of Australians finding work in film studios is hopeless. EngEngland is full of people trying to get into tho films. “We have heard that many Australians were successful on the London stage, but we came over to discover that there are also a number of Australians unsuccessful despite their talents,” said one of the actresses.