APPEAL FOR MEN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11507, 1 October 1915, Page 5

APPEAL FOR MEN.

MINISTER V. EMPLOYERS. WHAT DOES MESSAGE MEAN? SHOULD M ASTERS " POP THE QUESTION?" ! " I beg each of yon to arrange thai medically fit unmarried raon in yonr employment may bo free to register Tor .service. 5 ' What does the Hon James Allen's message to employers imply? That is the question that citizens nro asking; them elves to-day. Taking tho mildest view, it. is a request that single moil with financial responsibilities thai cannot be met out of military pay are to be helped financially by their employers. Taking the only other view it is an appeal foi the discouragement of single men. Some employers are doing both, others are doing neither. SINGLE MEN'S DEPENDENTS. The growing repugnance tc> White Feather crusades is perhaps protecting a number of shirkers-, and employers are saul to be very roluctanl to ''pop tho question" to their single men, because there are so many eases ox single men • keeping a home, together. An instnnco wa» given this morning to a reporter of three young men whoso comb ned earnings just managed to keep a, mother and sister from going out to work, and it Avas pointed out that these men felt themselves obliged to stay at home. This argument, however, is not too sound when viewed in the light of the substantial military pay that colonials receive. A prominent member cf the C'.D.C. who knows tho considerations that keep many young men from enlisting, stated this morning that if employers generally woujd only guarantee men their jobs when they came back the difficulty would be largely got over. Some emplojws in unexpected quarters were giving' their men this glial an tee and making up m l it;; ry pay to ordinary pay. Other firms were not only refusing to pay their n.en anything, but were discouraging them from enlisting. The National Register would give the information that was required about a single man's dependents, but it was quite open for an employer to question his single men on this point. AN EMPLOYER'S REPRESENTATIVE. " From what I know of the employers of Canterbury, t am sure the Minister's appeal will receive tho hearty support of all x>f them." The speaker was Mi- J. R. Hay ward, president of the Employers' Association. "Even now," he said, "I honestly believe that most of the employers are encouraging their employees to enlist, and in many instances are assisting them financially, or paying a percentage of salary. As president of the Employers' Association, I will appeal through the papers to all the employers of Canterbury to make sacrifices in response to Mr Allen's appeal. I hopo the Minister's appeal bo supported loyally by everybody." "Is there any movement to give preference to married men?" " I think in most instances married men receive the preference," Mr Hayward replied. " The inducement to enlist, is made principally to the single men."