REPATRIATION

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 22, 21 October 1919, Page 6

REPATRIATION

REPORT TO R.S.A.

REPRESENTATION ON BOARD

The special conference of the New Holland Returned Soldieis' Association yesterday devoted attention to thj subject of repatriation.

Mr, T. Long (Auckland) presented tlio report of the committee set up to consider llio various remits on the subject. This report stated that the committee felt that two direct representatives of the Returned Soldiers' Association should bo allowed on every repatriation board. Th«: reason for that was that tho boards, being in tho main composed of business men, were unable by reason of their business instincts to bring themselves to take the risks which were at times necessary to do full justice to the soldiers' claims. With regard to the continuance of benefits, the committee suggested that the association should ask the Government and Parliament for a pledge that land settlement and repatriation benefits generally 6hould not be rendered inoperative until such time as every soldier had had ample opportunity to train hiirteclf or to otherwise arrange his affairs in order to allow him to take full advantage of tho benefits. At least twelve months' notice of discontinuance -should lie givon. A pledge of that nature would assist the work by allaying the fear of missing benefits and preventing a great rise in the price of land, etc., by a rush 'of purchasers. When married men were completing their indentures under the scheme of assistance to apprentices it was recommended that the sustenance scale, and not the jC.I fiat rate, should npnly. The sustenance scale should bo raised as follows:—Man and wife, 555.; man and wife and one child, ? 635.; man and wife and two children. 70s.'; man and wife and three children, 755.; man and wife and four children, 80s. The committee urged that when a soldier on his discharge had applied continuously for one week for employment and no suitable employment had been found, he should at otiee be entitled to sustenance until suitable employment was found. Loans for businesses should -be mrreascd to ilafll), of which .EIOO should be free of interest. The purchase and bui]ding of urban and suburban properties for soldiers' dwellings should be administered by tho Repatriation Dcnartnlent, and farming properties should be under the Lands Department. The committee affirmed the proposal that furniture allowance should I>e increased to ,675, free of interest. The committee also considered that widowed mothers of deceased soldiers should be nlaced on the same basis as soldiers' widows find nurses, who were "o\r eligible for renatriation beiiefitc. The committee urired that the regulations for the protection of soldiers' businesses administered during the war bv the Efficienev Hoard be revived for the "protection of businesses established with t'io as? ; stnne« of the Repatriation Tlenartment, and that the Repatriation lVnaHme.pt be charged with the administration of such regulations. In regard to subsidised workers it was recommended that in view of tho fact that Subsidies wero paid monthly, and that thereby many trainees suffered undue hardship hecniu*e"*tW were unable to meet their we?';l.v obligations, arrangements be made'willi the employer to pay the full amount due every week a"d that a cheque fir the subsidy be forwarded to ill" emp'oyer every month. The report was adopted.