DISABLED SOLDIERS

Hokitika Guardian, 3 December 1931, Page 6

DISABLED SOLDIERS

H F-FaSTABLISMMENT SCHEME. OPERATIONS BEGUN. .WELLINGTON, December 2. Although the operations of the Disabled Soldiers’ Civil Re-establishment Act are being hindered to some extent by the hard times, the scheme is now in .full i working order, with employment officers appointed and local committees being set up in most of the main .centres. In *’tlie Wellington district more than 100 registrations have been .received and several men have been placed. Some time ago' an advisory committee* Nva's appointed to re-establish soldiers in. eiv.il occupations, to which end - the Act provides for the supplementation, where necessary, of the earnings of any ex-soldier who may not ho able to produce volume of output or degree of efficiency to warrant standard wages. Last 'month- employment- officers were appointed for each of the four big centres—Air C. J. Aitken in Auckland, Air AY. H. Hewitt jn Wellington, Air W. E. Leadley in Christchurch, and Air A. J. Gordon in Dunedin.

During the- few weeks in which the scheme has been administered by these officers more than a hundred men have registered in the Wellington district alone. The registrations represent practically every class of occupation—poultry farmers, compositors, solicitors, sberth and fty pi sis, commercial! travellers and others. “We lujve had to do a great deal of ground work and really have not just got going,” Mr Hewitt told “The Dominion.” “Most of the business people are very sympathetic. but owing to the bard times few of them are able to take on extra hands. I hope very much that before Christmas .they will at- least he able to ta)!*e men on in temporay positions.”

Mr Hewitt said the department was taking adequate steps to prevent any employers benefiting under tbe scheme by obtaining cheap labour. Prospects for the success of the scheme, lie said, were excellent, but he would like to see more employers interested. Tiie. Wellington district extended to Gisborne and New Plymouth and included also Nelson and Blenheim. In all the large centres local committees were being sot up, to act under tbe direction of the head office in Wellington.