The Dominion. FRIDAY, JANUARY 31, 1919. AN OPPORTUNITY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 108, 31 January 1919, Page 4

The Dominion. FRIDAY, JANUARY 31, 1919. AN OPPORTUNITY

A COKfiESPONDENT whose letter we published yesterday made a suggestion which most thoughtful people will approve, though tew will hope to see it carried uut. In view of the difficulties facing the country it would be a good .thing, he urged, if a national council, representing Labourand other sections of the community, full representation, of course, being given to returned soldiers, were called together in Wellington and endeavoured to frame a national policy dealing with mining, shipping, settling the land, education, roads, electoral reform, .etc. Though it has much to recommend it this proposal has poor prospects of being adopted. .New Zealanders presumably prize their democratic liberty, but they are not in general enthusiastic or even methodical in discharging the duties of citizenship. The average.attitude is a rooted disinclination to be bothered with affairs of much more than personal scope except when they take the form of acutely contentious questions or issues raised in. the heat and clamour of party politics. But although a comprehensive attempt to remodel national policy is not likely to be undertaken on its own account, some us-eful possibilities in this direction are raised by the creation of bodies whose highlyimportant function .it will be to promote the re-establishment of soldiers in civil life under the best possible conditions.' It is the first duty of the district and local committees which have been and are being constituted.to work with and assist the Hepatriation Department to study and promote the interests of_ soldiers, but they cannot fulfil this duty without, in their degree, influencing-the general development of public .policy and.the control of public affairs. At the present stage > the establishment of these committees on the scale and under the conditions now contemplated is an experiment, but if they do their responsible ' work with forethought and_ enterprise their total influence during the next year or two upon national policy and development may be enormously important. Realising their maximum possibilities they may, to employ a somewhat hackneyed expression, give the country an entirely new political orientation. Even if expectations on this scale are not realised, it is open to the repatriation committees to do a great deal to clear the industrial atmosphere by way of practical advice and suggestion. It is evident on slight consideration that these bodies occupy an altogether : exceptional position. They are planned on broadly representative lines, and if they are constituted according to plan will bring together the of sections of the community which in normal circumstances are sharply divided from one another, even where they are not positively antagonistic. The scope of useful service that- opens before the local and district repatriation committees is measured' by their representative character,'by the common duty and interest of the sections and groups to whom they afford representation in promoting the welfare of returned soldiers, and not least by the fact that the problem of re-estab-lishing soldiers in civil life is in the fullest and most definite sense national. It is obviously impossible to regard the repatriation problem as a thing apart from the general life of the community, or to approach its solution without taking tho fullest possible account of surrounding circumstances. In order that the problem may be satisfactorily solved it is necessary not only, that special provision should be made for soldiers in various directions with a view to giving them a, place in civil life as good if not better than they left to go to the war, but to effect such adjustments as will minimise friction and make , for general prosperity. As the Hon. W. H. Hemues observed the other day, the problem of repatriation is one that must bo solved by all sections of the community working together. Its ramifications are. far-reaching and complex, and it raises and will raise formidable difficulties. On the other hand, owing to the existence of this great and pressing problem, an unexampled opportunity appears of dealing with all sorts of public questions dispassionately and with an eye to the welfare of all concerned.

The extent' to which such hopes aro realised will, of course, depend upon the spirit in which the repatriation committees approach their task, but it is evidently open to them to attack national problems under better conditions and in a more rational way than has hitherto bean possible, by any representa-tive-body. Rightly viewed, tho common duty of doinß justice to our soldiers will supply the bond of union and sympathy that is too often , lacking. It should be nossiblo in these circumstances for the committees to lift their deliberations and their consideration of the many c|uestions i involved in or affected by repatriation to a much higher level than is usually reached when the same and similar questions are dealt with from a sectional standpoint. They should be able to deal amicably with and offer suggestions on industrial and other questions which in less favourable conditions often give rise to erribitrered controversy and strife. If, as they should bs, the local and district repatriation bodies; aro <'ivibl<:cl to confer and pool their opinions great weight will naturally attach to any recommendations they may formulate in regard to the prosecution of development works, settlement, tho promotion of industrial harmony,

anil so forth. The consideration of sui'li questions would fall as naturally within their province as the detail activities in which they will be called upon to engage, and it will certainly mark a promising step forward in this country if sections and groups commonly opposed arc enabled, in unitedly promoting the welfare of returned soldiers, to freely and unselfishly co-operate for national ends.