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Show SOLOIIEL SEEKIIIG M IS SHOCKED Finds Former Orderly, in Charge of Bureau. MANY SUCH CASES IN GAN ADA Many Men of Modest Station in Civil Life Won Deserved Promotion in War Wherever Possible Recognition Recogni-tion of Efficiency in Army Is Being Awarded Bulk of Army Slipping Back Into Civil Life Without Creat ing a Ripple. Curious situations arising out of tire question of rank in the Canadian army during the war are being duplicated in accentuated form on the return of the soldiers to civil life. The cases nf hank managers or occupants of high industrial positions who found themselves serving as privates or as junior officers under majors and colonels colo-nels who had been their employees before the war are now being reversed, re-versed, often in ludicrous fashion. One Canadian colonel who for four years had been responsible for the bodies and souls, of 1,000 men, each of whom was ready to give up his life on tliie colonel's order, found on his return re-turn to civil life that he could not get a job. Finally he decided to apply to a government employment bureau, hut on entering the office found himself face to face with his former orderly, a lance-corporai, who on more than one occasion nun leu nira a merry dancp anrl had often been the subject of disciplinary measures. The ex-colonol ex-colonol (lid not apply for a Job, hut 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 a position soliciting advertising. Humbly Hum-bly approaching the owner of a smart cigar store, he found himself face to face with a former private in his ranks with whom he had had many unpleasant collisions. The ex-major executed a tactical retirement by purchasing pur-chasing a package of cigarettes. Many Won Better Jobs. The case of a Calgary barber who enlisted as a private and earned promotion pro-motion on the field to the rank of major, who now doesn't fancy a return 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 occupation occupa-tion was, ought to find recognition on his return to civil life. Wherever possible pos-sible this recognition is being awarded. John P. Girvan, a sorter in the Toronto To-ronto general post office, enlisteoVas a private in August, 1914. In the closing campaign of the war Private Gin-an had become Major Girvan, acting lieutenant lieu-tenant in command of his battalion, with D. S. C, SI. C, and Croix de Ouerre 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 sorter's position. po-sition. Instead they made him assistant assist-ant to the superintendent and gave him charge of the night staff, a petition peti-tion ordinarily reached only after a lifetime's work in the civil service. Ex-Major Rings Up Fares. Other cases have not been so satisfactorily satis-factorily disposed of. A former major is serving as a street car conductor, the same position he occupied whetl he enlisted as a private at the beginning begin-ning of the war. Asked why he did not endeavor to secure a position mora In keeping with his rank in the army, lie said : "This is the one job in civil life X know. If I tried to pitchfork myself in In some other job I might make a fizzle of it and become a bum for the rest of my life." The fact is that the great bulk oi Canada's array is slipping back into civil life without creating a ripple on the surface. According to government figures recently announced, 316.589 men have been released from the army since the signing of the armistice. armis-tice. Of this total no less than 189,000 I men have made no application for employment em-ployment and have presumably slipped ! hack into places that were waiting ! for i hern. Out of 68,773 men who have applied for employment, 61,278 havo been placed. 1 From these it appears that since I the armistice more than 200.000 men have heeii reabsorbed Info Canadian ! civil life and that some RO.OOO still re-' re-' main to he. absorbed. Many nf these lal'or are doubtless students, candi-! candi-! dales for vocational training, or young j men taking things easy for a time before be-fore seeking employment. |