HELP FOR SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 159, 31 March 1919, Page 11

HELP FOR SOLDIERS

WORK OF REPATRIATION BRANCH

0 FFICIAL SURVEY OPPOSITION

Ail official statement 'regarding' the progress of the work of repatriation was made on Saturday by Mr. J. Gray, secretary of the Repatriation Board. "It scorns desirable to emphasiso ,'here," said Mr. Gray, "that the operations'of the Repatriation Department are covered by the Repatriation Act of last session, and that it is able, therefore, to deal only with those phases of the work which that statute authorises it to undertake. For instance, the Repatriation Department does not deal with land matters in any shape or form. All questions affecting land ' for forming or residential purposes are, by virtue of the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Ae.t and its amendments, entirely under the control of the Lands Department. Nor does it deal with tlio soldier before discharge—the Repatriation Department is concerned only with the discharged soldiers. ,

"Tho | policy of the Ministerial. Hoard has been to decentralise as far. as possible the whole of the work, of repatriation, .as it is felt-.that-the boards .and local committees are in the .best position to judge the merits of each, application. Under the procedure laid down, only matters which require the approval of the ceutral board are loans for sums in excess of .£SO. Loans of under i:SO include, of course, advances towards-the purchase o.f furniture, tools- of trade, professional implements,, and so on,- and payment of fees, sustenance, subsidising of wages, etc., and the. decision ..regarding these rests entirely with", the district board or local committee concerned. This method is giving every satisfaction, and'is enabling the cases of discharged soldiers io be settled with' the utmost expedition, There is no delay because of reference to Wellington, and it does not appear at all likely that the New Zealand scheme will be subject to' the same keen criticism which 'the Australian repatriation methods have evoked/ owing lo the. Commonwealth policy of centralising all control in the head office,

" It is proposed to issue .a, progress return at the end of each month, showing under the various headings the - total number of applications d<alt with, and the total -nmount of financial assistance granted. The first figures- will bo issued at the end of March, and thereafter the' monthly return will give the. figures for the preceding month, together with the totals under the various headings to date. It uiay.be of interest to state-that up to the present the Ministerial Board has authorised loans for the purpose of enabling discharged soldiers to establish themselves in civil employment or occupation, to the extent of about ,£15,000. "Work-in connection vitli'placing discharged soldiers in employment, is proceeding every day, and side by side with it proceeds much in the way of arranging for vocational 'training.'' Tho bulk of this training will ! -be doiie in' tho workshops of private/ employers, as. it is found that tho practical training that a man receives in f the workshop makes this method'i tho 'most favoured by the men themselves, and by the men who will be their employers in future, as it brings them more closely into touch with actual trade conditions. Tho Department is, however, making arrangements at the some time, and these are almost completed,'for the training required in special cases where the workshop'.or ordinary farm 1 training is not practicable. Publicity has already been'given to the provision made by tho Defence Depart* mont for educational, vocational, and curative training for the soldier before discharge. When the soldier who. luis been receiving this vocational training is fit,, from the medical joint of view, for discharge, it will become the function of. the Repatriation Department to' take charge of him if ho l;'ns'no employment to go,to, and to place him in the trade or. industry, for which he lias been trained, and to make all arrangements ; for subsidising his wages,. to ensure him a wage of not less than ,1:3 per week, exclusive of his pension. In cases where the soldier, though fit for discharge, is not considered fit to bo placed in the trade or industry which he proposes to follow, it has been mraiiged that the Defence Department shall continue the vocational, training previously given, and the Repatriation Department will provide sustenance until the worker is ready to be placed with a private employer."