"NO SINGLE MEN NEED APPLY."

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2482, 8 June 1915, Page 6

"NO SINGLE MEN NEED APPLY."

Sir,—l was pleased to see a letter in Saturday's Dominion, over the signature of "Young Man," in reference to the action of certain employers in inserting the above line in some advertisements. That kind of thing will only cause resentment, and probably defeat its own object. If the employers as a whole throughout the country endeavour to compel single men to go to the front by these means, thero would sure to be trouble.' Thero is only' one authority to respect and obey, and that is Parliament. I certainly would not go at the behest of any employer, and would live all the same. It is quite possible that some of these employers may be single men. Who are. they to set themselves up as judges, and to dictate to any single man whether he should go to the front or not? There are scores of single men to whom it is a sacrifice to stay at home and perform the common task. I know one single able-bodied young man who supports a blind father. Would these employers refuse him a position if 110 needed one? In my own case, I am an only son who supports a mother of seventy-five years of age, with a little home that is partly paid for. And there are hundreds of other similar cases 110 doubt. Would it be right to leave one duty to perform another? Even in Russia an only son who supports aged parents is exempt from military duty, so that I consider it a very ill-judged and rather mean action of these employers in putting all single men in a bunch', as it were, and -saying either go to the front or be unemployed, perhaps thereby doing an injustice-to some who stay and try to do their duty at home.—l am, etc., W.J.H.