REPATRIATION BOARD

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 280, 22 August 1919, Page 10

REPATRIATION BOARD

LOANS FOR BUSINESSES A POLICY STATEMENT The District Repatriation Ofiicer (Mr. C. W. Batten) yesterday stated the temporary pulley of the Wellington liepfltriatiou iJoard in reference to the granting of loans to enable returned men to set up in business. "There appears to bo a general impression." said Sir. iiatten, "that every jna.ii is entitled to a lean to enable him to start in business. The impression seems to have arisen out of the tact that every man is entitled to lean to enable him to go on the land—provided, that is, that he shows ho can run a farm successfully. There is this difference, however, botwen putting men on the land and putting tliem iu business: you cannot put too many men on the laud, but vou can put too many into 0110 class of business. If you set up too many returned soldiers in one lino of business there is not a living for all of them in it. . „

"Tlio board has decided that until all the men are back it will 'grant a business loan only if the proposition is a sound one, and the soldier can show that he has a special claim to be set up in lite particular line to which his application refers. Every soldier is entitled under the Act to apply for JtliOO to start ill business, but the board will in the require an applicant to show that, ho has some special claim—for example, that iio sold a business, last "ii opportunity to go into business, wa,s disabled, or suffered so.mc spccial financial loss on account of his war service.

"It is hoped, by pursuing tlio above policy, to secure for tho last men to return equal opportunities with t.hoso who have been fortunate enough to return earlier. Men who had. to sell cut of businesses have returned and found themselves unable to re-engage in the old lines because other men, -with slighter claims, have already been established. The board hopes to prevent this sort of thing from recurring."