CIVILIANS AGAIN

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25084, 23 December 1944, Page 8

CIVILIANS AGAIN

60,220 DEMOBILISED FINDING OF EMPLOYMENT (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Friday A total of 60,220 servicemen and women had been demobilised from the armed forces to the end of November, .said the Minister of Rehabilitation, Mr Skinner." During November 3067 returned personnel and 812 home servicemen and women had been demobilised, making 3879 for the month. At the date of the return the totals discharged Irom the forces were 3-1,754 returned iroin overseas and 25,46(3 demobilised imm home service. "An analysis of tliu placement figures of ox-servicemen and women shows that overall 61) per cent have placed themselves in employment, businesses and on farms, while 31 per cent have required assistance from tlio Rehabilitation Department," said the Minister. "Proportionately more returned personnel than home servicemen and women, however, have so far required assistance in placement. The percentages for returned men and women are 64 per cent self-placed and -'iO per cent assisted; for home service personnel. 74 per cent were selfplaced and 26 per cent required assistance. Direction to Employment "Although we are naturally at all times ready to assist any number of exservicemen and women to rehabilitate themselves," said the Minister, "from the point of view of the men themselves the higher the percentage in the selfplaced category the better. Many men have had to be placed in employment more than once by the department, but in earh ease the returns show only one placement. I'here are many cases in which men have been assisted to find employment, but later have placed themselves, in which case they are shown in the returns simply as being st If-placed. "Another point which should be borne in mind, particularly with regard to homo service personnel, is that a large proportion of them have been directed into employment tinder the manpower regulations and many will probably require assistance into permanent jobs after the war. "Furthermore, although the great majority manage to find themselves employment or return to their former work, thousands of them have required assistance from the Rehabilitation Department in other ways, including housing, furniture and miscellaneous forms of financial help. Employers' Co-operation "I should like to emphasise that on the whole relations between the department and private employers are on the most cordial and co-operative basis, but there have been few cases, regretable as they a.re rare, in which employers have had to bo reminded of their moral obligation toward their former employees. I have a list of 24 such cases reported from the four main centres, five of them having required action by the Labour Department! The number of these cases is certainly small, but it shows that the legislation compelling employers to reinstate former workers is highly necessary and lias no doubt prevented many more cases of evasion by employers of their obligation. "The main headings showing disposal of demobilised personnel are f Hows: —Not yet discharged, returned to service, on leave in hospital, recuperating, etc., 12.568; undergoing fulltime training, 1658; placed with pre serviie employer. 1210; self-placed with ore-service employer, 14,402; placed without subsidy with other private emplover, 8348;' self-placed with other private employer. 12.5-%: placed without subsidy in State employ, 714; selfplaced without subsidy in State employ, 616; placed with subsidy in intermediate scheme. 21; returned to own business or farm 2858; acquired own business or farm, 2379. Of 2379 shown as; having acquired their own businesses or_ farm, 1571 were assisted with rehabilitation loans." DOMESTIC AID SCHEME PLUNKET SOCIETY'S VIEWS Commenting on the regulations issued yesterday bv the Minister of Health, Mr Nordme.yer, in relation to domestic assistance in the home, the president of the Plunket Society, Mrs 11- 1 • Towle, stated last night that a committee was set up at the Plunket conference last month and authorised to approach other interested organisations for the purpose of establishing a society to train available personnel for a home aid service. Chief Commander V. E. Jowett. W.A.A.C., commandant, stated recently that she thought many Waacs now in camp would be willing and interested to take a course of training in domestic aid and this could be done before they were demobilised. They would then be available for immediate help on demobilisation, and their salaries could perhaps, when necessary, bo subsidised by the Government. The status of the work would also in this way be raised automatically. The Plunket Society's hope was that if such a society were formed, with a nucleus consisting of representatives of Mio W.D.F.U., the Women's Institutes, the Townswomen's Guilds and other interested bodies which had already been at work on the problem, such girls as were available in the camps and were interested in the scheme could join it, thus forming the future home aid personnel. It is too early vet to judge what progress has been made by the committee. and the immediate problem is to find the necessary personnel. STUDENTS' CONFERENCE CHRISTIAN MOVEMENT About 70 university students from different- parts of the Dominion have registered as full-time delegates at the annual summer conference of the Now Zealand Student Christian Movement, which will open in the Dihvorth School. Great South Road, on December 28 Seven years have passed since the conference was last held in Auckland, and it is anticipated that a considerable number of local students will attend the daily sessions. The programme includes studies in the relevance of the Bible to presentday problems, consideration of the basis of peace and of aspects of contemporary art. Among the leaders and speakers taking part will be Archdeacon J. Young, of Wanganui, the Rev. C. Welch, the Rev. D. N. MacDiarmid, the Rev. G. F. McKenzie, Mr H. R. Rodwell and Miss Gretta Riddel I, organising secretary of the movement.