MEN MISSING

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20006, 3 August 1939, Page 16

MEN MISSING

,CONTRACTS BROKEN AUSTRALIAN TRADESMEN OFFICIAL INQUIRIES (Special to the. Herald.) AUCKLAND, last night. A large number of Australian building tradesmen, brought to New Zealand by the Government to work on the State housing scheme, are believed to have vacated their employment. Building contractors state that officers of the Labour Department have been making inquiries among them in an endeavour to trace Australian tradesmen who have disappeared. So far as can be gathered, the officials have met with very little success. It is assumed that most of tnc men concerned have returned to Australia, after having enjoyed a visit to New Zealand, in respect of. which their steamer fare has been paid one way by the Government. Mixed Success of Scheme The conditions of employment under W'hich Australian workmen were engaged required the refunding of passage money by instalments. Police officers are known to have been making inquiries for missing workmen who have defaulted in their financial obligation over passage money. It seems clear from contractors in touch with the situation that the Government’s scheme to bring tradesmen from Australia has been a mixed success only 4 Some men are fulfilling their contracts and are excellent workmen. The capacity of others has not been satisfactory. In some instances they have not been able to adjust themselves to the class of work demanded; in others, knowledge ol their trade appears to have been ver> slight. There has also been a certain amount of discontent at conditions encountered, particularly regarding the restrictions imposed on the remittance of part of their earnings to relatives in Australia. English Workmen Favoured Several workmen expressed the. view that there'would be less chance of disappointment if the Governmem concentrated on importing tradesmen from England instead of Australia, only for financial reasons, EnglL'i. tradesmen are less likely to return to their own country if they find some aspects of life in the Dominion irksome or disappointing. There is a big temptation for some Australian workers to regard tl i opportunity to come to Ne,w Zealan, in the light of a temporary visit only. Private employers who have imporle Australian workers have also founc< in several cases that their stay in New Zealand was short.