REPATRIATION

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 80, 30 December 1918, Page 6

REPATRIATION

SOME oi- THE PROBLEMS

GIRLS WHO MADE GOOD

DIFFICULTIES CONFRONTING EMPLOYERS

(By "Drawde."')

The return of lnrge numbers of invalided men from the war zone i-iui the impending repatriation of between 40,000 and 5i1,000 fit men are creating problems for many firms and trades. Employers in the professions and industries nre finding that demobilisation concerns them more intimately than they had expected. The shortage of labotir. that has been a source of em'barr.issment. during the last two or three years is going to be succeeded by a surplus of labour, temponvrily at any rate, and the Government will be tillable to carry tho whole burden of responsibility for placing the returning men in employment, borne employers are finding already that their obligations, expressed or implied,'to keep billets open for men who went to the front is difficult of discharge One difficulty is the disposal of the women nnrt girls who have filled men's places' during the war. .Another difficulty not generally foreseen is the return of soldiers who jjo longer can be offered a jouth's sal"ary and yet who have not qualified io earn the salary that ■in the ordinary course of events would have belonged to their years.

I On March 31,1914, according to the official statistics, the total male population of New Zealand aged from 15 yeairs upwards was about 307,000.- The number of men withdrawn from civil life for military service u,p to the middle of this year was, roughly, 100,000, or nearly 1 I in i of the total male population of working age. The vacancies have been filled during the war. period in various ways, among which. Way be mentioned— (1) The employment of women and girb in occupations formerly filled by male workers, especially in offices; (2) the absorption of workers from unessential-in-dustries to essential work, and the postponement of various lrinds of non-urgent work; (3) the employment of persons who had retired from active work; (i) the employment of boys and girls on leaving school to a greater extent tho.n usua£ (5) longer hours of : work, and the asI sistance rendered 'by, one farmer or employer to another.. Some of these adjustments are merely temporary, and may be abandoned at will. Othere have. left a permanent mark pn the- industrial and commercial life of the community. The employment of girls and, womei. increased in a score of directions whilo the men were at the front. Hundreds of places in offices, shops,' banks, and factories, filled formerly by- men, have been occupied by girls, who in very many cases have made good. It is'an undoubted fact that in some important instances the girls have done so well that the employers would like to keep them. But the men are coming back. It is not simply a question of ~ wages, though admittedly a girl usually cheaper than a mau in all grades of employment. Employers have found that girls as a body iibs more attentive to the details of duty, more amenable to discipline, and more settled in their habits of life than young men, 'They are less ambitious than the men, and more content to accept a routine of work without looking for change and promotion. For theso reasons many employers who have greatly Increased the proportion of womeii on their staffs during the war period.are loath to change back to the oicl conditions if that involves dispensing -with the services of the girls now in their employ. Speaking on this point, the manager •of a large-business house in Wellington told 'the writer that he found his position decidedly perplexing. "I have the best staff now that X ever had," he said. "I am using girls in places that were' always filled by men before the war, and 1 say frankly that I am satisfied the change was for the good. The girls are just as intelligent as the men, they learn just as quickly, and they are more reliable and conscientious. There are exceptions on both sides, of course, and'l ought to say that we pay good'wages and get the .best class of girl. We don't employ flighty 'flappers. . My trouble now is to find places for the returning men without doing damage to my 'staff and injustice to the girls, some of whom have been with us now for over three years. We are coing to play the game by the men. Every man who went to the front from this office can come back at hie old salary if he wants to: But thero are going to be more girls employed in this office than there were before' the war."

Another employer, while expressing a similar opinion aljout the qualifications of the girls, said lie believed the problem was going to solvo itself to some extent. "The proportion of really competent clerks, secretaries, and saleswomen among tho girls is lower than some people imagine," he said. "The war has brought the best out of tho girls in many cases, but it does not follow that they are going to continue at the work they took up for war purposes. Some of them wfll become home girls again. Many of them will marry within the next year or two. Tliink of all' the marriages that hare been de, ferred during the war. Of course other girls will come along, but I fancy they will not p.rove quite as keen useful as tho girls who came forward practically as volunteer "war workers have done. If they aro, then the boys will havo to brighten up. These things adjust themselves."

• A renlly difficult problem from the point of view of the employer is the 6ol.tlier wlio was a mere hid drawing a learner's salary when he joined the Arihy three' , or four years ago, and who has j returned a grown man without increneed , knowledge of his trade or profession. The Government Iras made some attempt to assist the men., in cases'of tins kind. It will supplement wages in, suitable instances in order that the returned soldier may resume,aa a learner. It is l-provid-ing facilities for study at.the technical colleges and elsewhere. But the employer has to do his pnrt, also, if the soldier is to escape embarrassment and \mv&6hip. Sonie employere aro accepting the full burden, by paying a man's salary to the returned soldier who was learning his trade when the war started nnd who has to resume now where he left off when he enlisted. Many other employere, doubtless, will follow this example of practical patriotism. An employer who has played the game generously in this respect told the writer in the course- of conversation that the imprtance of early return to civilian employment - ought' to be impressed upon the men. He had just received a call from a man who had been back in New Zealand over six months, and who had come now for the billet that had. been promised him at the time of his departure for the front/. .."I hope the returning soldiers will realise that there must \>a 'consideration on both sides," he said, "i think that a man who has been promised, a billet on his return, or who expects to Tc-cntcr his old employment, ought to report to his employer us soon an possible after, his nrrival in New Zealand, and make his wishes and intentions clear, Some employers hitve been put to serious trouble by neglect of this duty, nnd tlio result may bo a misunderstanding that will give returned soldier an aggrieved feeling. The employer has not able to kcop places vacant during the war, and there are many adjustments to be made- when the men come back. If a man is going to take a holiday after his discharge, he should let hisT employer know and see what the position is. TJlierc must bo mutual consideration in order to smooth over the difficulties of demobile isation/'

Mutual consideration seems to. bo the key to most of the problems, that are arising in connection with repatriation. The employers aa n body are desirous of doing their full duty to the. returned men, but they have their own difficulties to face. Some- businesses have been restricted bv the war conditions, and cannot immediately bo expanded. Employers bn_ye a duty to the peonle who hnvo served them .loyallv rturinsr the war , ns well ne to the soldiers. Adjustments and concessions of many different kinds ,will have, to he-mule during- the neriod when teiis of thousands of returnim; men are beii>£ reabsorbed in civil life, <mkl the tucks involved are ?oing to tax the moodwill and patience of every section of the community.