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Hokitika Guardian, 23 January 1919, Page 2

The Government are slowly bringing into operation the repatriation seliemo authorised at last Parliament. The Act was bald and unconvincing in itself, so that the. scope of the scheme, is left to the range of the regulations shortly to be published. These regulations are to go before the Advisory Hoard of the Patriotic Societies at Wellington this week. The scheme is understood to include branches at the four centres covering the main military areas. Repatriation officers for the centres are now being appointed, and these officers are ito constitute branches and sub-committees throughout their districts. There will be probably a branch officer at Greyinoutli, with sub-commit-tees most likely at llokitkita and other centres. Tliis will give a: general idea of the machinery, hut the real difficulty is the question of providing the range of employment necessary to absorb the thousands of men who will return to the Dominion this year. The Repatriation Department will have a difficult task ahead of if. Already witj, only 30,000 men back there is great diffieulty in finding light employment for men not robust enough to return to former hard worlc. The Department must he prepared do strike out on broad grounds and it must do so with haste. New Zealand is all behind with its repatriation work. The machinery should he now in running order when actually it is all very much to pieces. The services of the men combined with the promises made then, demand that the best shall bo done for .them, and to achieve that in tile short time available means much hasty preparation. Rut the job must; be tackled in no niggardly spirit.