REPATRIATION

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 159, 31 March 1919, Page 8

REPATRIATION

PRINCIPLES LAID DOWN

DECISIONS OF RECENT CONFERENCE

The recent conference of chairmen of district repatriation boards and local committees gave consideration to a number of questions which will constantly arise in dealing with discharged soldiers. Decisions were arrived at on many important points, and a summary of these, with explanatory notes, has now been circulated for the information, and guidance of committeos and boards which are administering, the Repatriation Act. In submitting the. minutes (of which the following is a summary), ic is stated I the Ministerial Board desires to. make it quite clear that the principles affirmed I by the conference are not to be regarded as hard-and-fast regulations, and binding on them. As was explained to those present, these divisions cannot be accepted as general guiding principles which it is hoped will enable the work of the Department to be carried out on systematic a,nd uniform lines throughout i the Dominion. It is admitted that exceptional cases will' always arise, and that a certain. amount- of elasticity, therefore,' will be necessary in the administration of the regulations; and in the observance.of general rules and principles. When cases arise which present unusual features, it is suggested tnat the Director of Hepatization might be advised of them and .of the action taken by the board or committee concerned in order that the precedent thus established may be circulated for general information and guidance. A univer?al adherence to this procedure will undoubtedly tend to lessen what, is probably' the olii.ef danger besetting the Bepatriation Act, namely, differential troatmen of applioaions of a • similar nature as ■■ between boara' and licard and committee ,'and committee.

The following is a summary of con-, fe'rence decisions Interpretation of Discharged Soldier. (a) That in the case of men who have not been overseas, the certificate of leave in lieu of discharge is to be deemed to be a discharge for the purposes of'the Repatriation Act. It is mentioned that the land hoards are insisting on the men who are eligible under section 18 of the Repatriation Act producing a certificate of discharge,' and to meet these few cases it has been arranged that the Defence authorities shall issue a. discharge on application. The Repatriation Depart' ment, however, does not intend to insist on fliis-legal technicality. (b) That, although eligible under the Act, assistance' is not to bo given to men wTio volunteered for. home service and went into o:imp,- seeing that home service volunteers'. under practically identical conditions, i.e., on wharf guarSs, forts, and detontion barracks, are not eligible because they were ly in- a'-camp of military training. Press at Meetings. . It was ■ unanimously' agreed -that the Press are not to be admitted to' the meetings of repatriation boards and coujmifctees, but that a precis of the business transacted: at each, meeting, should, at the discretion of the board or the committee concerned, be handed to the Press after each meeting. / Loans'/for Businesses, Etc. (a) After a very full discussion on the question of the restrictions which should be imposed in connection with the grantnig of loans, for whatever purposes, the conference unanimously affirmed, tho principle that all assistance' given by the Repatriation Department is to, be by way of repatriation and not as a reward for service. (b) That loans are to bo made, where necessary, to assist applicants to re-estab-lish themselves in civil life. / (c) That tyans,- except in exceptional cir6umstances,. are. not „to be given to applicants—(l) Who are already in situations equal to their pre-war positions; (2) who are already, satisfactorily settled .in (business or (3) who are in a position to finance themselves. ■ ,(d) That where a loan up to £300 is made to establish an applicant in business such .loan should include any .necessary tools, of trade. . ' (e) That in-connection with . all, loans the State shall, where possible, have first security. for repayment. " (fJ' That the employment of valuers or solicitors'' in connection with' : business loans"is'to be left to the discretion of the board or committee concerned. In all cases where a valuation is to be obtained .it is to ho attached to the papers. / (g) That in connection, with business loans, inspectors will bo appointed, 'if deemed necessary by a board, out preference is to be given to returned soldiers, .where possible, for all paid positions in ihe Repatriation Department." . (h).'That as a general rule it is desirable that'all loan moneys should be paid direct to the ,vendors. (i) That " the conditions respecting repayment of loans are to be reconsidered at the end of two years, and that to enable this, to'be done and the-position to be reviewed, the final balance : s to be-formally made payable at the end of such period. , (j) That it is not considered advisable to set up'a-special Board of Appeal. Note: It had been suggested that an Appeal Board / should- be established to enable _ dissatisfied applicants to have their' cases reviewed. /

Loans For Furniture, Tools,of , Trade, Etc. (a) That applications for loans for furniture are only to be considered from married v nieri of; good character (or from men with dependants requiring a home), who are in permanent employment, or established in business, or fare .subsidised workers; and from soldiera' widows of good character; applications are not to bo considered from men who are in a financial 'position to make their own arrangements without undue hardship. ' (b) That applicants. are',to give lists of articles required, with name of vendor and price, and the moneys for purchase of furniture and tools of trade are to/be paid direct to the Vendor, liepayments are;to be made by monthly instalments whore tho applicant is on a weekly or monthly wage.

Land Settlomont for Soldiers. In eases where applications for loana aft'ccling land aro found to bo outside the scops of the Lands Department the boards may consider such applications under the Repatriation Act. ■ , Note: While it . was agreed that all matters affecting land, whether for farming or residential purposes,' aro,; under present legislation, entirely outside the scopo of tho Repatriation Department .nevertheless it was decided that there were certain exceptional cases Which-de-served special 'consideration. Under tho Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Act returned soldiers who are lessees of land, other than for lands administered by a Land Board, are not eligible for financial assistance under that- Act. This defect can only bo remedied by an amendment of the Statute, and pending such amendment the conference agroed that an opplication from a soldier, which wmild bo otherwise eligiblo for. consideration by the Lands Department but for this .technical difficulty, should be dealt with by the Repatriation Department up to the limit of c 8300; The difficulty referred to is met chiefly in the Taranaki district in connection with tho West Coast (Native) Settlements Reserve under the adminis. tration of the Public Trustee. .. Sustenance, (a) That sustenance grants are not to be made retrospective. (b) That nil applicants must have applied to the Repatriation Dopartmont for employment without success before being eligible for sustenance grants. (c) That except in exceptional circumstances sustenance is not to be paid for a longer period than ton weeks to any one applicant, and then only' within ft period of twelve months of date of dis. charge. (d) That sustenance is not to bo renewed to an applicant who leaves the employment found for him unless the board or committee is quite satisfied as to the reasons given for ceasing work—in cases where medical unfitness is given ns the roason the applicant to produce a Defence Medical Certificate in' support. (e)' That where a bctard or committee requires a medical certificate with re-

spect to any applicant in whatever, category, the same is to 'be obtained from a Defende Mcdicni Officer, whero practicable. Employment, That in connection with under-rate permits tho Department is to make wages up to J3 per week (exclusive of pension) as already provided in the Financial Instructions and not to the minimum award rate ruling in any particular industry in any particular district. University Courses. (a) That assistance is to bo given to applicants—(l)' Whose course of study has. been interrupted by their military _ service and who are approved "by tho university authorities; (2) who, though they have' not previously attended a university, yet show special aptitude and ability, especially if ■ applicant is disabled; (3) whose families are not in a financial position to assist them. (b) That at the end of each year, each .ense is to be reviewed .by tho board of the district in which tho student is purSuing his studies, and that further assistance is to depend on satisfactory progress Having "been made by tho etudent. Travelling Warrants. That in all cases where transport is provided in terms of paragraphs 23 mm 21 of the Financial Instructions, the faro is to be second-class by the cheapest route, and the tolal assistance granted is not to exceed <£50. , Other Business.

It is considered thalj it will bo of interest to makfl., a short reference in those minutes to several other proposals which were placed before the conference by different boards and committees, and which, after very full discussion, were either withdrawn, or negatived. Die principal matters are sot out hereiindei: (a) Remits by Auckland and Otago District Boards: That authority be delegated to the district boards and to those local committees with official shuts, to •make loans up to .£3OO without reference to the Ministerial Board for its approval A weeklv return to be submitted 'to tho Director of Bepatriation, giving full detail? with respect to each loan granted. .. Note.—This remit was, at tho suggestion of the chairman of the Auckland Board, and with the concurrence of the chairman of the Otago Board, withdrawn for the reason that the decisions of the Central Board with respect to loans already submitted to it, had own given so promptly, that they did not now consider there was any need to press the PI (S° S Ecmit by the Canterbury District Board: Free capital, with the elimination of clause 13 of Financial Instrnctions—That jt he a recommendation from' this conference that tho Bepatriation Department advance money free of interest. This proposal was negatived. (c) -Sustenance'lncreases: Mr. Drayton, on behalf of the Canterbury, Board, put •forward a proposal for'an increase in the sustenance allowance to married applicants with children, but aftor oiscussion this remit was, at hi? request, withdrawn.