STATE EMPLOYMENT

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 214, 4 June 1920, Page 7

STATE EMPLOYMENT

PREFERENCE FOR RETURNED MEN. The report of the Repatriation Oommilteo dealing with the admission of incapacitated men into all State services was submitted to the conference of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association yesterday. Tho committee found that many sol-, diers had been refused re-employmeilt by the State on account of war injuries. It urged: "(]|) (a) That employment at a wage comparable to what they would have been receiving had they not enlisted should be found for them, and that men who resigned their positions in order to enlist should be reinstated in the same way as if lcavo had been granted te them, (b) That a separate superannuation fund, subsidised by the Government, be established in order to removo any difficulty in connection with superannuation. (c) That no soldier so reemployed shall lose, by reason of war service, any annual increment to which lie would otherwise have been entitled. "(2) That this association demands preference for returned soldiers, sailors and nurses when public appointments aro irade, and recommends that preference be given by private employers also." Mr. C. W. Batten stated that tho word "State" had been included in tho report because in the past a quibble had been raised that tho Railways Department, for instance, was not a public servicc because it did not come under the authority of the Public Service Commissioners. The clause regarding preference by private employers had been inserted because it seemed as if a. number of employers had been slacking offof late in giving work to returned men. It was "up to" everybody to give the utmost assistance nofsible so long as one soldier was out of work. . Mr. T. Long (Te Aroha) said that certain things' had been asked of tho Public Service Commissiqners, but they had replied that they could not grant them because it would be exceeding their powers to do so. That was not the point, however, as they merely wanted the Commissioners to applv the powers they already possessed. It had been found in niany instances, but not tho majority lie was glad to say, that returned soldiers were, being "turned down" when they applied for temporary positions in the Public Service ami preference had been given' to_ outsiders. Thero was no desire to have incompetent men appointed to the Public Service, liut, all things being equal, and taking into consideration tho dutv of the State to the-soldier who came back;, incapacitated, the spirit of the Public Service regulations should be observed.

The report was adopted