EMPLOYING EX-SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 10, 7 October 1919, Page 10

EMPLOYING EX-SOLDIERS

" THE RAILWAYS CASE. , Several questions were asked in tlio House of Representatives last night about the rc-employment in the railway service of men who had left the service to go to the war, the statement being made that in nniliy instances the Department was refusing to take men back on the ground that they were medically unfit for railway duties. Mr. G. W. ltusscll raised the question bv drawing, the attpntion of the Ministor of Railways to a discussion that had taken ulace on the subject at the meeting of the Chmtchurch Repatriation Board, on tile non-employment of railwavmen who lind been discharged from the forces "fit." lie mentioned some of the eases referred to at the meeting. He said that it appeared to him that the Railway Department was setting a very bad example to employers throughout the country by refusing to tako men back into the Department in which they had been serving before they went to the war.

, Mr. B. W. Smith: There are two similar ca-scs in my district.

Mr. T. W. Rhodes: They are nil over the country.

Mr. Massey said ha would be glad if notice were given of the questienin the regular way. As a general principle all the men employed in the railways had been taken back on their return from the war. Mr. Rhodes: These are men who.resigned' to go. Mr. Massev indicated again that be would be ciad to go into the matter if notice were given of the question. Mr. Russell suggested that such men as. were not considered to bo fit to .do the more arduous of railway duties should be found light employment in the clerical brunch or elsewhere. Mr. Massey: What the honourable gentleman suggests is being done in a number of cases, to my own personal knowledge. Mr. W. H. Field asked whether the Government would compel private employers to take back their employees who left to go to tho front to fight. Mr. Massey said that he feared that tho Government lmd no such power. But ho honed that every right-tlnnlcing employer would bo only too glad to take back the men who had gone to do their duty in the service of the Empire. Mr. Wilford: Put their names in the paper, and you will bring them up to the scratch. Mr. Luko suggested tliat the Government, might set an example to private employers in tbis matter.