DISCHARGED SOLDIERS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1873, 5 September 1918, Page 3

DISCHARGED SOLDIERS.

THE FINDING OF EMPLOYMENT. The report of the Discharged Soldiers’ Information Department for the period ending 31st August, affords interesting reading. The number of cases disposed of up to that date was 17,259; 2,550 were under action; and 1,566 were not ready for action. Of the 17,259, 6,901 men had work to return to or had re-enlisted or returned to military duty; 3,282 had been placed in employment; 4,920 had signed “assistance not required”; and 185 had left New Zealand or could not he found. No fewer than 1,971 had either not responded to repeated communications or had accepted work the Department found for them, but failed to start work. v Commenting on the present condition of affairs, the Minister-in-Charge of the Department (Hon. D. H. Guthrie) made the following statement: — “One thousand five hundred men have been disposed of during the month. We found billets for a farther 209 men. Six hundred during the month took up their old employment or re-enlisted, etc. Three hundred and fifty men signed ‘assistance not required’; and 350 failed to reply to repeated communications, “Notwithstanding fresh men being discharged by .the military authorities and then coming under our purview each week, the eases “under action' have been reduced by 850 during the month . This indicates, I think, that the men are steadily settling down, and that the great majority have no difficulty in securing employment.” The Minister added that Mi J. R. Sampson, the officer in charge of the Department, was leaving Wellington yesterday for Christchurch to enquire into the position of the branch there, and to endeavour to place it on a better footing than it is, apparently, at the present lime. During the past month very little has been done there in the way of finding employment for returned soldiers.