RETURNED SOLDIERS

Otago Witness, Issue 3348, 15 May 1918, Page 25

RETURNED SOLDIERS

QUESTION OP EMPLOYMENT.

GRIEVANCES VENTILATED

(From Oub Own Correspondent.} _ AUCKLAND. May 9. Ihe treatment being accorded to returned soldiers in the matter of employment has been discussed by the executive of tho Auckland Patriotic Association.

Mr W. B. Leyland said there were in Auckland returned men seeking emplovment who could do work at present beingdone- by others If they were given such positions it would release men now fillin"them under the Defence Department and in other directions. Tiio latter could then return to their former occupations. Doubtless not all of them could go to the front The president (Mr J. ft. Guneon) said there were many complaints that the claims of returned soldiers in respect of employment were not receiving the consideration they should receive. Tho belief was expressed that the conditions complained of were general throughout tho dominion. When seen subsequently, Sir James Allen was asked whether the Defence Department, was taking, or would take, any steps to replace men in its service who had not been to the front, for various reasons, with returned soldiers. The Minister replied thai the department had been giving preferenceto returned men for a considerable time, whenever they were suitable for a particular job. They were not always suitable, however. It was not a fact, so far as he knew, that there were returned soldiers suitable for employment under the Defence D e P ar tment who were not getting such employment. The department did not want to encourage returned men to take up work in the Defence Department, becausa that work would only be temporary. It was trying rather to encourage them to go back to their previous occupations. It would pot bo kindness to put them out of work in which they were formerly employed. Thero were very few returned men out of employment so far as he- knew, as tho Discharged Soldiers' Department had found work for most of them.

It was pointed out to the Minister that there was a growing feeling that others were being employed in positions which returned soldiers could fill.

"All I can say is: 'Let us have specific instances,' " said the Minister. When asked whether if specific casss were brought under his notioe ho would instal returned men in the positions now held under tho Defence Department by men who had not been to tho front, Sir James replied: "~ies, provided that the returned men aro equally capable of performing tho duties to the same degroeof efficiency as the men at present performing them; but I must say that it is not my duty to encourage a .man, to take a temporary occupation when ho could get a permanent one. I know of no cases of unfair treatment of returned men, by my department."