WHEN THE SOLDIERS RETURN

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2523, 31 July 1915, Page 7

WHEN THE SOLDIERS RETURN

PROBLEM OF THE DISABLED

HOW TO EMPLOY THEM

PRELIMINARY STEPS SUGGESTED.

;_A report' regarding the training of disabled soldiers in suitable occupations was presented to the meeting of the Wellington Technical Education Board last night, by the Director (Mr. W. S. LaTrobe). The report was as follows: "Mr. .Rowley, of the Labour Department, has drawn my attention, unofficially, to the question •of Low far tlio Technical Colleges can bo of use in preparing soldiers, discharged as unfit, for suitable occupation. The question is, 'I think, of some importance, and I have been considering it for some considerable time. There .is little doubt that many, of those who are returned disabled would be anxious to leam some trade or calling in wliich. their particular 'disabilities' would bo as little handicap- as possible. At the same time it .would be necessary to.make reasonably sure, before training, such men, that they would have some certainty of constant and remunerative employment after they, Were trained. For' this reason it seems advisable that these men should be absorbed as far as possible by establishedindustries rather than that attempts should be mado to creato new industries'in which mainly cripples were employed..:. Such attempts could scarcely be run oil business lines, if conducted by Government Departments, and if left -to private enterprise would be rather unattractive investments, and •likel.Y to fail either as business propositions or as solutions of the problem of supplying suitable work for the disabled.

Dependents of the Fallen. 1 "The problem of the disabled is not, (however, the whole question from this point of view. There :are: also/the dependents of the fallen to, provide witli trades and other occupations. These dependents- in many ca-ses will be left .very poorly provided for "and there will undoubtedly be a tendency for the children to go into 'blind alley' occupations. Then there is the further probiem of those who have gone to military duty before they have finished their apprenticeship, and of those who, though trained to some occupation, will be unwilling to return to the same type of work when they come back to civil 'life. It is generally understood that a fairly .large proportion of those- who. take.up •military duties and go through & campaign, are thereby -unfitted (or so unsettled as- to ,be; unwilling) to resume the same occupations when they are discharged from the Army. These men will tend to drift into casual employment and to find themselves -at a disadvantage compared with those who have not done their military duty, unless some means be devised for helping ihem on to. their civilian footing again.

Systematic Consideration Urged. "In helping towards the solution of these problems the Technical Colleges, .with their present power and equipment, may not be able to do much, but they certainly ought to do all that is possible, and it is high time,, in my opinion, that tie matter was carefully and systematically considered. . "As preliminary steps I would recommend the following:— ' •••' :•'* "1 (a) That by co-operation with' the employers and-'employed in" each trade a classification of trades be made, showing what: disabilities are not .prohibitive, and what are prohibitive as regarcTs the practice of the trade, .and. further what are:.the. prospects of employment for disabledmen in each trade'; (b) that occupations. in which disabled .men may be regarded as equally efficient with able■'bodied men should-be separately listed, - iwith the probable demand for workers. "2. That in the case of eaoh disabled mah a preliminary training be giveii free in a Technical College, with the objects: (1) Of determining what trade the man may be suited for and how far he may be able to become proficient; (2)' of preparing him to enter the trade finally, chosen as an improver or learner, and . to help him to obtain such employment. .In this the co-operation- of masters,iTJnion, Labour Department, and Technical- Cdllege, by means of a board of four members, one representing each body, would probably be of great ser- ! vice. . ■ '

I ? "3. That special arrangements should . 'be made to keep such men -ill training • at the Technical Colleges, preferably by ; some kind of 'sandwich' system, after ; they have entered employment. i • "4. That the dependents of. those who have died in the service of their country should also have the same privileges provided free of expense by-the Government. . ' • - <( o. That all returned soldiers with & •good discharge should havesimilar privileges. i "6. That provision be made in all .occupations in which a disabled man may .perform the duties as efficiently as an- able-bodied man, i.e., in occu-. potions classifier! under (1) b. for preference to disabled ; men. . i "7. That provision bo made in all , iother occupatiens for preference, as far as possible, for disabled men and 'returned soldiers. •••-

V. Absorbing the Soldiers. ! ."By such means as these it 6hould ' be possible to ensure not only that all returned soldiers shall be absorbed into the civil working population as completely and quickly as possible, but ; that. .they shall, be taken into trades and industries.as improvers or tradesmen, and not allowed to drift into casual employment. It certainly seems to be the duty of the State to see that ■those who have given up most valuable years of their lives for the service of Sheir country should not be pushed into blind alley' employments by the competition of others who have perhaps selfishly employed their time in console ■ dating their own positions without regard for the. need of their country." ; Mr. La'Trobe further stated that his idea'was 'that technical schools, might , act as clearing houses and for prelimin'.ary. training. i. i The Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) said 'that he thought the Director was to be • Complimented on the teport, for it showed "he was alive to the contingencies .'that might arise. Already he (tlio .Mayor) had been approached with refiard to finding work for. the disabled i soldiers. i It was decided to adopt, the report, • and send a copy to-the Labour Departj ment, and to the Technical School ! Boards throughout ivey/ Zealand. i "Combined action," said the chairman (Mr. D: Robortson), "will do more Ahan anything else for these people."