BACK INTO CIVIL LIFE

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 72, Issue 6244, 19 June 1946, Page 9

BACK INTO CIVIL LIFE

EX-SERVICE MEN AND W.OMEN MANY RETURN TO FORMER JOBS One in every three ex-service men and wonlen so far demobilised has returned to his or her pre-service employment, business or farm, according to the latest returns supplied by the Rehabilitation Department, which gives the position as at the end of last. April. Those who have placed themselves in employment by their own efforts alone were almost one in every five, while one in every 15 has been placed by the agency of the Department. Pre-service employment includes those who have returned to positions in the Civil Service. Altogether at the end of April, 156,112 ex-service men and women had either returned from service overseas or had been discharged from! service with the home forces. The former numbered 111,133 and the latter 44,979. During April itself 4144 men and women returned from overseas, and a further 568 concluded their service with home defence units. Of the grand total there were at the same date 35,084 ex-service personel (including 4 29.179 with overseas service) who for some reason or circumstance were not in a nosition to take (employment. These were: Not yet discharged, returned to service, on leave, in hospital, recuperating, or for some similar reason, 27,802; intentions undecided, refused to accept help, unable to be traced, or temporarily lost cotact with, 5040; depending on private means 525; left New Zealand, 266; domestic duties (own homfe), 1451. There were also 527 (comprising 329 returned men, three returned women, 188 ex-home service men, and seven ex-home service women) who had died since their return or demobilisation.

Onlv 155 men and women (including 127 returned* men) were enrolled for employment, and of these 82 were fit for light work only. Of the great majority who had reentered industry, both primary and secondary, 47,164 had returned to their pre-service employment. Of that total 31,728 comprised returned service men and 182 were returned service women. Added to this were 3869 who had returned to businesses they had run before joining the forces, and 2411 who had returned to their own farms, making a ratio of one in every three who had gone back to their nre-service jobs, businesses, or farms. Those who had placed themselves in fresh emplyoment as a result of their n wn efforts numbered 35,127, including 23,813 returned men and 159 returned service women, while the Department had been instrumental in placing 18,279, made up of 10,703 returned men, 28 returned women, 7214 ex-home service men, and 334 discharged home service women. Undergoing full-time studies with rehabilitation assistance or training full time at the Rehabilitation Board trade training centres were a further 2770, while 3358 were being trained on a rehabilitation subsidy with private employers, and 18 were placed with rehabilitation subsidy in therapeutic work. Listed as acquiring their own businesses were 5471, made up of 4110 men returned from overseas, 12 returned service women, 1323 discharged home service men, and 26 exhome service women. One returned woman had also acquired a farm, as had also 1636 returned men and 242 discharged home service men, making a total in this latter category of 1879.

Maoris are included in all the above figures, there having been 3003 Maori returned service men and six women now demobilised, besides 962 and 98 respectively men and women who had concluded their service with the home forces.

Consternation reigned amongst the smokers on the platform at Wellington the other day when the Hutt train drew up, minus a smoking carriage. However, there were two cars labelled A and B respectively, and somebody, pipe in mouth, exclaimed: “ B is for baccy ! ” jumped into the B, all the other smokers following suit. Presently someone asked: “If B is for baccy, what is A for ? ” “ For abstainers, of course ! ’’ came the reply. Everybody laughed. Precious few abstainers from the weed nowadays I Well, there’s no harm in tobacco, so long as it’s pure and pretty free from nicotine. Our New Zealand brands are almost entirely free from the poison. That’s why you can smoke them (even to excess) with safety ! The explanation is that they are all toasted, and toasting gets rid of the nicoaine. It also wonderfully improves flavour and bouquet. Popular brands: Navy Cut, Cavendish, Cut Plug No. 10, Riverhead Gold, and Desert Gold; also tailormades. They’re all good, and the only toasted tobaccos manufactured.