§ 37. Mr. CECIL WILSONasked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that on Thursday the 26th February a notice was posted outside the Attercliffe Employment- Exchange intimating that labourers (ex-service men only) were required; that two men, named Rooke and Darby, applied, and they were told by one of the clerks to come the following day at 2.30; that they attended the following day at 2 o'clock, and were sent to Messrs. Burrows, South Yorkshire Ironworks, which is not more than five minutes' walk from the Exchange, only to find that the vacancies had been filled; that on both occasions they saw the same clerk; and, seeing that he made out their cards and that the cards of the men who filled the vacancies should have been returned to the Exchange, can an explanation be given as to how it came about that such unnecessary irritation 2211 should be caused to applicants at the Exchange in their efforts to obtain employment?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDThe Exchange had made inquiries and had been unable to ascertain whether the vacancies had, in fact, been filled at the time when Rooke and Darby were sent. As the hon. Member himself points out, the works are only five minutes' walk from the Exchange, and I do not think it was any serious hardship on the men in having to go and see for themselves whether the jobs were still open.