DISCHARGED SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2650, 22 December 1915, Page 6

DISCHARGED SOLDIERS

AND THEIR EMPLOYMENT. The subject of the-employment of discharged soldiers was before the Wellington • Central Chamber of Commerce at. its meeting on Monday., - . .- - - "The Hon. A. L. Herdman,: Minister in Charge of the Discharged Soldiers' Department, had written in reply to the Chamber's request, that hisJDepartment was not able conveniently to furnish lists of men available for employment. He suggested that members., of the . Chamber should advise, the Department of vacancies in their own establishments | ' which '. might' be filled by discharged ": soldiers. . ' Mr. L. Ashcroft Edwards said the. position was that the .Department would not supply lists of'men available, and on'the other hand asked the Chamber : ; to supply lists of : vacancies. This would mean that employers and not the Department were going to do tho work. , "From what I know of tho workings of the Government," life said, "I don't think the scheme will work. Supposing for-the jake of argument we wanted a motor mechanic.. If we applied to the "Government for oiie it would probably - be a fortnight before we could get a reply. Oh the seventh of this month, because I desired to. leave .this country, I applied for a passport, and I gave n, well-known citizen as my reference. "Op till' Saturday I heard nothing more of -it, although it was known that I wanted to leave at the end of this week. On- Saturday I sent in a pretty stiff letter, and this morning my referenco was rung up by telephone." He thought' i't should not he impossible for the Government to supply lists of men available. But. if the Minister would not fall in witli their ideas, the Chamber could do nothing. > "However," said Mr. Edwards, "I'll give this scheme a- trial. I have one vacancy at present." • I Mr. Leiali Hunt: We have two vacancies. We'll give it a trial..