NATIONAL SERVICE LEAGUE

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10272, 6 May 1919, Page 6

NATIONAL SERVICE LEAGUE

RESULT OF ESSAY COMPETITION. The Now Zealand National Service League recently conducted nu essay competition, the subject being ttow -New Zealand Manufacturers Can pest Help Our Returned Soldiers.” The two cold medals presented by Messrs Aand G. Price, Ltd., engineers, i br-mos, for the best essays on this subject, * lom any boy or girl attending any college or school in New Zca.uud, nave U.ca awarded to the following: - Girls—Winnie Catherwood. ieaJhcrbtl”oys—Ralph "Wilson, Taupaki. It is reported that the wuele of the essays received were of a very high standard and reflect great credit on the writers, most of whom came to the conclusion that New Zealand muuuiacturers can best help returned soldicis by: <1) Giving them preference of employment; (2) training soldiers who wish to learn; (3) giving the light wont to partialiy-disabled soldiers. The cumpe-t-itors considered that the general jubUc could give a helping hand bv 'ruying New Zealand-made goods thus making the manufacturers so 1 nsy tt at they would require a lot more mm, ■which would enable them to «»mp-»oy + bo soldiers as they returned to take up civil life. . , When forwarding this report tno National Service League sent also nu essay written by a Wellington boy. Andrew Sharp, aged 12 years and 4 months, of Standard VI., Brooklyn School. This gives a good idea and r.ho standard of the contributions. It was as under:— Are the people of New Zealand aware of what they, or we, owe to our soldiers? We would now be under the tyrannical rule of Germany, it these and our Allies’ soldiers had not so nobly held the enemy at bay in the ruined villages of France, and on tbo scarred ridges of the Gallipoli Peninsula, during the war that has recently ended. How are .we to show our gratitude to these men for so bravely defending the shores of our, and their, native land? Now that the Great War has come to a conclusion, many soldiers are returning to New Zealand. Seme are crippled, but most are still physically fit._Many of the crippled men are. although considerably handicapped by employers’ prejudices against crippled persons, seeking work which does not require the use of the injured members. Many articles which are ideal for trade are manufactured by these men.

Tho groat problem at present is how to find positions for the returned men who are still physically fit. Women have, to a large degree, filled the places of tho men who have been on active service. Now, if tb© New Zealand public were to give preference to New Zea-land-made goods when purchasing, tiie factories would become bigger in order to manufacture enough goods ta cope with the great demand for I'leio ticles. The bigger and busier the factories become, the more positions will bo vacant there, and our return id soldiers will bo able to fill them.

We must not forget what our soldiers have done for us. To whom do we owe our freedom? We owe ft to those indomitable men. We say wo are grateful to them. Let us show our gratitude by purchasing New Zealand uiaiiufacturM,