Charlevoix county herald., 1919-12-05
COLONEL SEEKING
JOB IS SHOCKED
Finds Former Orderly in Charge
of Bureau.
MANY SUCH CASES IN CANADA

Many Men of Modest Station in Civil
Life Won Deserved Promotion in
War-Wherever Possible Recogni-
ton o. Efficiency in Army Is Being
Awarded-BuIk Of Army Slipping
Back Into Civil Life Without Great
ing Ripple.
Curious situations arising out of the
question of rank in the Canadian army
during the war are being duplicated
the soldiers to civil life. The cases
of bank managers or occupants Of
high industrial positions who found
themselves serving as privates or as
junior officers under, majors and colo
nels who had been their employees
vers0d often In ludicrous fashion.
One Canadian colonel who for four
years had been responsible for the,
bodies and souls of / 900 men, each of
whom was ready to give up his life on
the colOnel's order, found on his re-
turn to civil life that he could not get
job. Finally he decided to apply to
Il government employment bureau. but
on entering the Office found himself
face to face with his former orderly,
a lance-cOrporal, who on more than
one occasion had led him merry
dance and had often been the subject
of disciplinary measures. The ex-
colonel did not apply for job, but
took advantage of the opportunity to
exchange greetings and good wishes
and utter a few platitudes about the
weather.
Another officer of high rank took
position soliciting advertising. Hum
cigar store, he found himself face to
face with former private in his
| ranks with whom he had had many
unpleasant collisions. The ex-majOr
executed tactical retirement by pur-
chasing a package of cigarettes.
Many Won Better Jobs.
The case OF Calgary barber who
enlisted as a private and earned pro-
motion on the field to the rank Of
major, who. now doesn't fancy a re-
turn in barbering, has many parallels
| throughout the country. Generally
speaking the private who attained
high rank during the war is regarded
as having developed qualities which,
no matter what his former occupa-
ton was, ought to find recognition on
his return to civil life. Wherever pos
sible this recognition is being awarded.
John p. Girvan. a sOrter in the To-
ronto general post Office, enlisted as a
private in August, 1914. In the closing
campaign of the war Private Girvan
had become Major Girvan, acting lieu
| tenant in command of his battalion,
with ID. s. c., M. c., and CroiX de
| Guerre ribbons on his breast. A few
weeks ago Major Girvan reported for
duty to the post office where five years
ago he had laid down the position Of
sorter. The post office authorities
took council and decided not to send
| Major Girvan back TO his sOrters po-
sitiOn. Instead they made him assist
ant to the superintendent and gave
him charge of the night staff, q posi-
ton ordinarily reached only after a
Iifetime's work in the civil service.
Ex-Major Rings Up Fares.
Other cases have not been so salts
factorily disposed of. A former major
is serving as a street car conductor,
the same position he occupied when
he enlisted as a private at the Begin
nj Of Aclyn vxyh hn
not endeavor to secure a position more
in keeping with his rank in the army.
he said "This Is the one job i'm civil
life I know. If I tried to pitchfork
myself into some other job I might
make a fiZZle Of 1t and become a bum
for the rest of my life."
The fact is that the great bulk OF
Canada's army is slipping back into
civil life without creating q ripple on
the surface. According to government
figures recently announced. 316,5S9
men have been released from the
army since the signing Of the armis-
tice. OF this total no less than $4,000
men have made no application for en-
ployment and have presumably slipped
back into places that were waiting
for them. Out Of 6S,773 men who have
applied for employment, 61,27S have
been placed.
From these 1t appears that since
the armistice more than 100000 men
have been reabsorbed into Canadian
civil life and that some 60.OOO still re-
main to be absorbed. Many of these
latter are doubtless students, candi-
dates for vocational training, or young
men taking things easy for time be-
fore seeking employment.