"PREFERENCE TO SOLDIERS"

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16847, 11 May 1918, Page 8

"PREFERENCE TO SOLDIERS"

AN APPOINTMENT CRITICISED. The appointment 0 an official of th Railway Department to . the position o assistant director- of recruiting was criti cissd by a deputation from the Auoklani Returned Soldiers, -which waited upon thi Minister for Defence yesterday. Mr. F Andrews, secretary of the association, sai< that his executive had. passed a resolution to th© effect that in view of the fact tha there were about 20,000 returned soldier in the country, and that the Railway De partment had not been able to release al the reservists in its service who had beei drawn in the ballot, "this position migh have been filled by an efficient v , returnee soldier. His executive felt that such i man might have been found, and that th appointment was not in accordance witl the policy of giving preference to returnee men. ' Sir James Allen said that the position was a very difficult one, and the Railway i Department had not been over-willing to allow the officer in question to take it. It was one requiring office and Departmental experience. It had been filled by the railway officer in the interests of efficiency, and they had tried to select the best man available. I Mr. J. Melliitg asked if there was not a great shortage of men in the Railway Department. - The Minister replied that this Department was cutting down its services, and, therefore, had more meji to spare.