A GRAVE PROBLEM

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2622, 18 November 1915, Page 9

A GRAVE PROBLEM

WORK FOR RETURNED SOLDIERS THE MAYOR ON THE SUBJECT,

When referring to war distress mattors on Tuesday, the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) said that tho demand for assistance varied very little, and could be described as lioTnial. Some of those who had been helped had gone off the books altogether owing to changed conditions; some men whose families had been assisted had returned, and the families no longer needed aid, and somo of the widows of those who had fallen had been sent Home to their relatives at their own request. The problem that, was now giving , the Mayor and others interoste'd more occasion for thought than any other was that of finding employment for returned soldiers. There had been a meeting only tliar morning, convened by the Hon. A. L.' Hcrdman, to discuss mattors in that connection. It was attended by Messrs. W. 15. Hudson, Wiu. Ferguson, Tlios. Young, A. E. Wliytc, A. Voitch, AY. H. Morton, and A. H. liindmarsh, M.P. At that 'meeting it was shown that a very considerable amount of valuable work was being done by the office in Aitken Street established by the Minister, and as the result of that work the machinery for dealing with cases was being narrowed to a practicable basis. A pleasing feature reported was tho number of returned soldiers who were prepared to look after themselves, and others whose necessities hardly came within the purviow of the committee's consideration, and were prepared to battle "on their own.'' The 'organisation set up by tiie .Minister was on tho right lines, and permitted of an interchange of knowledge by close communication with those citizens who had facilities for finding employment for the men. Of course, there were vastly different cases to contend with, notably those men who wanted a class of employment that they wero hardly suited for. One outcome of the consultation was a decision to classify tho men, so that they could cooperate generally in.attending to tho wants of each group of men as they camo along in a' minimum of time, and with the greatest mutual benefit. The scheme the Government had in hand for placing men .n'pon the land was a commendablo one, but there were those who wero perhaps anxious to take advantage of it, but' who, through want of knowledge, wore not likely to make a sue-, cess of it. What ho (tho Mayor) wished to see was that these men should be made fit for tho job. both for their own and their employers' satisfaction.. Others might be, educated either oil the State farms or at a separate agricultural school to bo set up for the purpose to enable them to take advantage of the Government's offer, with the reasonable prospect of making a home and assured position for themselves.

As far as the Wellington City Council was concerned it was unanimous in doing all in ifcs power to'find work for tlioso who could be satisfactorily employed, but the employment it had to offer did not always fit the condition of tho men concerned. There were always changes, for example, in the staff of conductors, and .they might try somo of those willing to' undertake tlio work in that direction. There were those, too, who had gone away and come back sick in a i'ow months, and recovered again, who hardly realised that ilioy were civilians again and needed to be looked after no longer. Here tho Mayor quoted the case of a man who had been offered four or five jobs, but had found nothing to suit him, and yet was inclined to ba rather exacting. Some, too, liad funny ideas as to what they could do, when it was quite obvious that, their capacity was limited. That was probably on account of tli© strain that they were still undergoing as the result of their trying experiences. The greatest patience would have to be exercised on the part of the authorities in this matter, so that every opportunity might be given to returned soldiers of getting a chance to secure employment that would suit their con-

diiion. It was a very grave problem, and they must all unite in its satisfactory solution. . Tho Mayor stated that lie liad proposed to Mr. 'Herdman that the members of the Mayor's War Distress Comraitteo might be associated ' with tho. committee lie (flic Minister) had set up, as they , were all gentlemen in tlio closest- touch with tho various avenues of employment, and ho testified to the great help those gentlemen had been to him.