UNEMPLOYED SOLDIERS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12707, 31 July 1919, Page 3

UNEMPLOYED SOLDIERS.

PROBLEMS OF REPATRIATION BOARD.

Mr C. H. Hewlett, chairman of the Employment Committee of the Canterbury District Repatriation Board, reported to the board last night that during the week ending yesterday sixty applications for work had been 'made to the board by returned soldiers, making, with 142 out of work at the beginning of the week, a total of 202. The board had found positions for seventy-three, and 129—thirteen fewer than last week —were still out of work. Sir William Fraser, Minister of Public Works, had arranged to take on thirty men at the Arthur’s Pass tunnel. The committee was communicating with local bodies as to employing returned 1 soldiers, and would report on that j aspect of the question at next meeting of the board. A deputation had waited | on Mr W. Reece, a director of the Bank j of New Zealand, and Air G. A. U- Tapper, Christchurch manager, in regard to a statement by the chairman of die Board of Directors of the Bank as to employing girls, and Mr Reece had promised to bring the question before the Board of Directors next week. The committee reported that, | amongst the unemployed, there were twenty-four who would not go back to their old positions for the following reasons;— Clerk in Public Service, did not -wish to go back; clerk in Australia, wished to remain in New Zealand; clerk, no prospect of promotion; clerk, j resigned before the war; clerk, position not good enough; clerk, business changed hands, ana no vacancy now;' clerk, no prospects; clerk, left employment previous to enlistment; clerk, position was in Wellington, wished to be Christchurch; bank clerk, resigned to go to front and bank will not take him back; driver, no vacancy; storekeeper’s assistant, old employer out of business; storeman, firm said it had no vacancy, would not take him back; salesman, position was in Otago, wished to be in Canterbury; commercial traveller, old firm out of business : commercial traveller, old employer left Christchurch ; grocer, wished employment in Christchurch; mercer, old employer in Wellington, wished position in Christchurch; grocer, old employer out of business; baker and pastrycook, old employer in Dunedin, wished employment Christchurch; 'stock clerk, no vacancy; stationary engine driver, old employer out of business; grocer, old employer in country, wished employment in town; farmer, was farming on own account, wished to be manager if possible.

There were twenty-five men changing occupations, as follows:—School teacher, wished to be clerk; farmer, wished to be stock clerk; farmer, wished to be clerk; newspaper runner, wished to be clerk; farm labourer, wished driver's position in town; farm labourer, wished position as driver; engine driver, wished position as driver in town; lightkeeper, wished storeman’s position; storeman, wished position as picture theatre operator ; billiard saloon keeper, wished storeman’s position; pastry cook, wished outside work; baker, wished storework; tailor, wished storework (warehouse); labourer, wished storework; clerk, wished farming; seaman, wished labouriug; pastry cook, wished outside work; farming, wished labouring; carpenter (rough), wished farm work; apprentice moulder, wished labouring; clerk, wished to bo electrical engineer; painter, wished to be motor driver; drier, wished to be motor driver; fruitgrower, wished grocery position. The following had been in permanent positions, but could not go back on account of disability, although they could do other light work:—Clerk, wished light outside work; butcher, wished to bo driver; fireman, wished to be driver; farmer, wished to bo driver; baker, wished to bo outside driver; plumber, wished lighter work outside; painter, wished light etore work; miner, wished light inside work; grocer’s assistant, wished light job; fanning, wished storework; blacksmith, washed lighter w r ork labouring; contractor, wished lighter wort labouring; sawmilling, wished lighter work labouring; New Zealand Glue Company employee, wished defence store work ;• farm labourer, wished light work in town; miner, wished any light work; butcher, wished any light work; horse driver, wished to be motor driver; seaman, wished light employment; ship’s officer, wished poultry farming; farm labourer, wished light employment in town; motor mechanic, wished to be motor driver; fireman, wished lighter work on farm.

Fifty-two-casual employees, as follows, needed work; — Five drivers, 3 storemen, 15 labourers, 2 salesmen, 1 packer, 1 trimmer, 1 contractor, 2 butchers, 1 hotel employee, 1 well-driller. 2 barmen, 2 canvassers, 1 clerk, 1 groom, 1 caretaker, 1 teamster, 1 farm labourer, 1 porter, 1 cook, 1 who wanted farm work. 1 who wanted rough painting, 2 rabbiters, 1 wool-classer, 1 wool store hand, 1 porter, 1 steward, 1 lightkeeper. The followingr-’memployed were permanently disabled ; —Miner, only fit for night-watchman, Messenger, etc.; engineer, only fit for easy clerical work, or messenger, etc.; labourer, only fit for caretaker, etc.; labourer only fit for night-watchman, caretaker, etc. Mr E- J. Howard said that if a man was so injured that he must take,only light work, the Government was bound to find that work for him. The foundations of the parcels office in Hereford Street had been laid for two vears. Why was not th© work taken in hand at once? The Lyttelton-Sumner Road should ho completed. There was no reason in the world why ten to twelve returned soldiers should not be employed on the road. The City Council should he asked to begin its sample concrete road- The council’s electrical engineer should he able to employ thirty or forty men. The council also could be asked to push on with the road to Elmwood Park as soon as possible after the poll on the loan proposal was held. Mr Hewlett said that the board should not wait for two or three mouths • it should get unemployed returned soldiers to work at once.

Mr Howard said that there was a good deal of work in the cits' waiting for men to take it up. Mr D. Jones said that many of the applicants for work evidently were asking for positions for which they had no training. They simply wished to change from one vocation to another. The Government certainly should find light work, for men who could not do heavy work. _ The position was more satisfactory, in the circumstances, than the hoard might have hoped or'expected Mr L. O. -Wood, Emplovment Officer, in reply to Mr A. F. Drayton, said that the position, as far as the hoard was concerned, changed from day to day. At present there was work tonly at the Arthur's Pass Tunnel, at the mines and at a few odd jobs in the city. _ At the end of two months the position might he much improved. A number of men who had been put off on account of coal shortage and difficulty on the railways would be taken, back. Mr Drayton asked if there was a demand for returned soldiers in the country. Mr Wood said that at present he did not have a record of ntore than, about a dozen billets in the country. The board always urged farm labourers to return to farma if they were able to work there. Some exception was taken to sending returned soldiers to underground work at the Arthur's Pass Tunnel, and Mr Wood said that he could place men at the tunnel without sending them underground. Mr F. T- Eldridge said that a concrete road could wot be laid in the frosty weather, and the Electrical I>epartment could not take on extra men until its cables arrived.. The parcel office would riot help the hoard, but the Lyttelton-Sumner Road would.

Mr Wvxid said that arrangements were in hand to find positions for all the permanent!;!' disabled, men on the bst, and he would again consult Colonel Ohaffey on the subject. Mr W. Jj. Leadley said that the Defence Department was training clerks in its vocational branch, while the board had twenty clerks ’omits unemployment register. If ifne Department continued its work, tho country would be flooded with clerks.

Mr Howard said that it was useless to try to convince the public that everything in the garden 'was lovely when it was n'ot so. He saw many young able-bodied men going about unemployed. They wore the badge of the returned soldiers. Things were not rosy; they wore anything but rosy, in fact. If it was true that twenty-two men were ready to go to Otira. the;; wore ready to go to Siberia, as he know of no worse place in the world than Otira.

Sir Hewlett said that he agreed with Mr Howard that the position was very serious. The public should n’ot be misled.

The chairman (Mr A. W. Jamieson) said that in the main returned soldiers were being taken back by employers to their old positions, out there was a surplus that the board must provide for.

Mr Hewlett said that officially the board knew of only one case in which an employer had refused to take a returned soldier hack, and that case was being inquired into. Mr Wood said that the position was acute to some extent, but he did not think that there would he any difficulty at tho end of the next two months. H e could get twenty-five men to go to Otira, but not until the accommodation, the conditions and the wages were improved. He doubted if he could get half a dozen men to go there at present for 13s and los a. day.

Mr N. B. M’Callum said that employers must not think that, after t,hoyhad taken back their old employees, they could go outside returned soldiers for further work. Their responsibility did not end there; They should communicate with the board whenever there was a vacancy.

Mr P. Davidson said that he thought that it was unfair to suggest that employers would refuse to take returned soldiers when there were vacancies.

Mr M’Oallum and Mr Leadley said that they knew of employers who said they would not have returned soldiers on their premises.

Mr Drayton said that, seeing the large number of soldiers who had come back, Mr Wood deserved to be congratulated on the admirable way he had worked in looking after those who needed work. He thought that Mr Wood should interview the Mayor, and the Public Works Engineer, and other prominent citizens to ascertain if needed work could not be put in hand at once. He moved to that effectMr W. Goss seconded the motion. He said that when men wished to change their vocations, it was difficult to find work for them.

Mr Hewlett said that the Employment Committee was thoroughly satisfied with Mr Wood’s work. The motion was carried, and the committee’s report, after further discussion, was adopted.