UNEMPLOYED SOLDIERS

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16426, 21 January 1919, Page 7

UNEMPLOYED SOLDIERS

A RICCARTON MOTION.

A motion bearing on the unemployment of returned soldiers came up at last night's meeting of the Ricearton Borough Council, when Cr. T. J. Stokes moved: "That this Council desires to draw the attention of the Government to anomalies which exist in connexion with returned soldiers. "While returned men are walking the streets looking for work, superannuated railway emplovees are still being retained in the railway service." Cr. Stokes remarked that he knew of at least one old railway employee who had been superannuated on an allowance ,of £5 or £6 a week, and was, in addition, drawing some 12s a day from his present employment— on light work, which was just what returned men wanted. He had been written to to the effect that returned men were available for such work, but his reply hnd been that he had been engaeed until six months after the declaration of peace, and he was going to remain on until that time if he could. "If that is a\sample of patriotism," said Cr. Stokes, "God help the returned soldiers." Or. Stokes further moved that a cony of this resolution be submitted to nil "local bodies, inviting them to pass the Bame. Cr. A. E. Steere seconded the motion, and various councillors gave instances of men who had retired on substantial superannuation and were drawing in addition good money from light' work which returned soldiers could do. This state of affairs, re was stated, was fairly general throughout the whole Government service, but more particularly in the railway service. In the course of the disoussion, Cr. H. "Wise supported the motion, but quoted instances where men up to n certain age had been "commandeered" by the Government, and had practically no option as to whether they worked or not. Cr. F. George remarked that there were many returned men who were not eligible for railway service. Personally lie could not think that the Department would pass over eligible returned men in favour of others. The Mayor, Mr J. Brown, said that lie was sorry that the matter had come up before the Council. As a matter of fact he knew that certain of tlio statements that had been made were incorrect. The services of some men, lie knew, had been commandeered, and already some of those men had been put off. He hoped that the motion would not prove as wild as it was wide. Eventually the motion was put and lost, bv five votes to three t Crs. Staples, Steere, and Ford voting for it, and the Mayor, and Crs. Gudsell, Wise, George, and Munnings against it. During the past week, the secrotary of the Returned Soldiers' Association, Mr "VV. E. Leadley, succeeded in placing fifteen unemployed returned men in positions, and yesterday morning there were still twenty-nino men in need of work on his books. They were classified as follows: —Two motor drivers, 1 brewer, 1 hardware salesman, 1 stonemason, 2 farm managers (or married couples), 6 clerks of various descriptions, 4 travellers, 2 storemen, 1 cook ; 1 grocer s assistant, 1 watchman. 1 cinema operator, 1 fitter and turner in the electrical en--1 ginoering trade, and 5 men seeking light I work outside.