§ Mr. NAYLORasked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been drawn to the cases of J. A. Smith and W. Ming, temporary clerks in his Department, now under notice of dismissal; whether he is aware that the first-named is 57 years of age, with a wife in indifferent health, and that his two sons were killed in the War, and that the second-named is 66 years of age, with a wife to support and an ex-service son partly dependent upon him, and that another son was killed in the War; whether the records of these two men are satisfactory; and, if so, whether, in view of their position, he will withdraw their notices of dismissal?
§ Sir A. MONDI am fully aware of the circumstances of these two clerks, and while I have every sympathy with them, I regret that I cannot undertake to withdraw the notices. Their records are satisfactory, and the reason why their services are being dispensed with lies in the definite pledge given that temporary non-service men should not be retained while ex-service men are being dispensed with.