REPATRIATION

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 38, 8 November 1919, Page 9

REPATRIATION

THE U.S.A. AND THE BOARD

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

In Angus! last a deputation from the Dominion Executive ot the New Zealand JteUirncd .Soldiers' Association waited upon some mviuijci'S of Cabinet in reference to rcp.ilnation affair-, and a fail reply was "piomiscd to the. U.S.A. requests. At a re::ent meeting of the executive a resolution was pas-ed commenting upon the delay of the Ministers concerned in dealing 'wiih the points raised, and the following correspondence _ has since pa-sed between the New Zealand E.\vcmive of the li'Hiirnod .Soldiers' Association and the chairman of the Ilcpai'i'i.iliiin Board:— Hon. W. H. Hemes to the R.S.A. Wellington, October 17. Dear Sir—This imirning'.s Wellington papers pubii.-.li a resolution passed by the Dominion Executive of the N.Z.U.S.A. to I!«- iollouing eliect:— That this executive having not?d the facts:-(!) That the Don; W. 11. Hemes, cliairmau of the Hepatization Hoard, promised a. depulaliuu, consisting of the nieiidiers of (.tie executive which waited on the Cabinet on August 2 last, that a reply would be. given to certain representations in due course; and (2) that no reply has been received despite further requests in writing, desires that the Ministerial delay be placed on record. In my opinion the publication of this re-t-olutjon is misleading and' unfair. It is unlair because, while it is true thru' I received a letter dated the 3rd iust. askingl for a reply, and that (his letter has not been formally acknowledged, yet I would point outi thai shortly alter ils receipt the secretary of the 'Repatriation Board communicated wil.li you verbally, and pointed out that the deputation waited upon the Don. the Acting-Prime Minister, the members of iho National Cabinet being present by invitation, and that the remits submitted concerned not only the Repatriation Board, but also tho Hon. Minister of Defence and fho Hon. Minister of Lands, ft was further pointed out (hat the request for a reply to these remits should Im addressed to the Prime Minister as several .Ministers wei'o concerned. A communication to the foregoing effect was again sent to you about three days ago through an oliicpr of the Repatriation Department, wlio is also a member of your Domiuiun Executive.

Tine resolution is misleading because it implies that the representations of the conference ha'vo been ignored. 'That is not the ease. Some of the requests involved a huge expenditure and consideration of them had to stand over until the return ot the Leaders of the National Cabinet irom the Peace Conference. Your dxecutivu is aware oj' the development which immediately followed (he return o!' tho Leaders, and which led to unavoidable delay. As a, matter of fact the Repatriation Board has only within tho last few days been in a position to reply on all tiho repatriation matters siilmiittcd at the deputation because before replying it desired first to consult its district boards and committees within respect to (hem. . This has been done, and I now desire to "reply as follows:— (a) The board is of opinion ihatdirect action to terminate the employment of women wiho have taken up appointment* during the war is not necessary, desirable, or practicable. The experience of the officers of the Repatriation Department all goes lo show thai on the whole employers in tilic Dominion are honourably fulfilling llieir obligations with respect to their soldier-employees. All Government Departments are giving preference ol employment to discharged soldiers wherever possible. (b) The hoard, alter full inquiry, does not consider it necessary or desirable to increase the unemployment .sustenance allowance us suggested. It has to bo clearly remembered that this is a sustenance grant during unemployment only, and is in no sense a wage." Here again experience has shown that there is very little rccoursa lo dhis form of financial assistance.

(c) The board is unable to recommend the Government to increase the maximum of loan for business purposes to .i'soo. I would point out that this assistance is intended to help wiili Mi:„:i businesses. It is obviously imra-sibie for the Department to finance large concerns. Already the board has approved of loans to 18!)il discharged soldiers, aggregating an advance df .£427,821. An examination of these loans shows that between lio per cent, and 70 per cent, of them are for less Hum (he present maximum of SM). thus showing that in the majority of eases the present maximum is sufficient for the soldiers' requirements. I think your association will agree that if the limit was raised to .£SOO the latter amount would still be inadequate in «>ino eases, and that other arrangements for extra finance would still have to be made. In viaw of Ihe hr;ivy financial risk involved in these advances there must be some liinil, and the board thinks, and experience proves, that the present maximum is a fair and reasonable one. I may point out that Australia is the oulv other country that makes provision for loans for businesses ior discharged soldiers, and that its maximum advance is .£l5O in ordinary cases and .ili'j'.l in special eases.

((11 A communication on the housing ouestion has already been sent to you by the secretary to the beam.

(e) The request that all applications for the purchase of urban and suburban properties should be dealt with by the Repatriation Depart mont has been referred for the consideration of the Hon. Minister of Lands, who desires to lake the fullest advantage of the organisation of the Repatriation Department in connection with the purchase of dwellings lor soldiers.

i'O The board is of opinion, as the result of its inquiries and of the experience of the Department, that the present loan of i'sii free of interest for the purchase of furniture is sufficient to meet the urgent nteds of soldiers.

(k) The bnarti has already approved of sustenance being paid to any dependant of a soldier who had established pre-war dependency, and thus qualified for and received a separation allowance payable liv the Defence Department to soldiers durimr service with the N.7/.E.F. By (in amendment introduced this session into the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Amendment Bill, which has now passed both Houses of Parliament, the term "discharged soldier" in the Repatriation Act. has been extended to include the. widowed mother of a deceased soloier.

(\\) In view of the experience of tho last nine months, the board sees no reason whatever to recommend any change in the present system of control of tho Repatriation Department. On the contrary the undoubted success of the administration is a strong argument in favour "f con tinning (lie present control. You are no doubt aware tint two returned soldiers nr» now members of the Ministerial Board of Control.

I am forwarding a copy of this lei lor to the Riaht Himniirable the Prime Minister for his information.

(Sgrt.) W. H. lIERRIES, Chairman,

R.S..A. to the Minister, November 5, 1919. Dear Sir,—l am directed by my executive to acknowledge receipt of your letter of tho 17th iiist.. and lo state that the secretary of tho Repatriation Board did communicate with the.association as indicated in your letter. This fact was placed before the executive at tho timo when Ihe resolution was moved, but the resolution was passe/1 as a protest against tho prior delay from August 2 to October 11. As to the replies made in your lettor I am directed to comment as follows-.—

(a) Women in Employment.—The association never intended unless forced to do so to ask women to leave I heir employment'. The? matter is not pressed at present. (b) Sustenance Grant.—The fact that, this grant is seldom required surely is an additional argument that when required it should bo adequate. (<■) Tucreusc of business Loan.—Wo note Hie fact: that some J.'i:'7,Silt has been advanced for this purpose. There is, of course, a heavy financial risk involved, hut our repie.sen la lives on the various boards assure us that very few los-es are being made, and Hint in the great majority of ca«es interest and principal is being repaid. Cases are reported to my association where the soldiers are paying very heavy interest on the extra money required. It Is tlio desire fjf, my association that

tli is advance should ho a fipocial one entirely .it the discretion of the hoard. Willi regard to the expenditure involved it was with such expenditure in view lliiit my association lias niado no demands in the mailer of gratuity. (f) Furniture Allowance.—The association's experience is different from that of (lie Department in the matter of furniture allowance. Probably (lie Department has not been asked for more because soldiers knew Hint, the regulations limit the amount to .£SO. (g) Soldiers' Dependants.—The assoeintion is ;l,ul f« note thai dependants are considered in the mailer of sustenance and nNo that provision has been made for widowed ninlliers. (li) Cnnlrol.—The association wishes to malce it clear that it recognises that the administration has been very successful and (he confidence of the association in Iho Department has been shown in many ways. However a more careful perusal of the reasons for a central board of experts (apart from the question of Ministerial control) would show that what the association desired was a comprehensive yvconstrue!ion policy. The returned soldier is prepared to work out. bis destiny. but the country .should, as far a.s possible, provide opportunity for him. Mv association feels that little or no opportunity is oflerinp for the great mass of men who cannot no on the land, and who are not able to start in business. The KeiKitri/ilion Department is not creating opportunities, it merely looks for employment, and however eflici-nt the machinery for this may be. it will not make openings whore mine exisl. (SgdA DOUGLAS SEYMOUR, General Secretary, N.Z.R.S.A.