RETURNED SOLDIERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 January 1918, Page 8

RETURNED SOLDIERS.

DIKFICULTIKS OF REPATRIATION. ADDRESS BY All!.. 11. L. SPRAI'T.OF IIAWIiIiA. Mr. 11. L. Nprsii.t, president of the Ilawurii, Returned Soldiers' Association, addressed a meeting of tin; New Plvmoulh Association, ill the Soldiers' Club, lust night. The Von. Archdeacon ICviins presided. Mr. H. ,). 11. Olcey, M.l'., was also present, and there was an attendance of about twenty members of the association. Archdeacon Evans, in introducing the speaker, referred to the very unsettling ell'oct of the war upon the men who took part in it, and said that anything that would help in solving the difficulties of re-ahsovbing the men into civil life again would be very welcome. Mr. Spratt was very cordially received, and plunged into his subject in a way which only one who had thoroughly studied all its phases could do. He said the difficulty of turning the citizen into a soldier was nothing compared with the difficulties connected with the return of the soldier into civil life again. Of the 14,000 men who had returned to New Zealand, and been discharged, or were awaiting discharge, just over four hundred belonged to Taranaki. In dealing with settling soldiers on the land, Mr. Spratt spoke chiefly of the provisions of the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Act. He regretted that the definition of a "discharged" soldier did not embrace men who had not seen service outside New Zealand. He said the land boards, with whom the returned soldiers going on the land would have chiefly to deal, were generally very sympathetic. In taking up land, he favored the renewable lease system (for a period of thirty-three years). The first thing for men to decide was the class of land they wanted. He also stressed the point that it was folly for men who had had no experience on the land to expect to take up farming and make a success of it. Mr. Spratt then dealt with the concessions granted with the concessions granted by the Government to returned soldiers desiring to take up land, pointing out that, of course, applicants for sections had to be approved by the land boards, and to such approved applicants who were successful in securing land liberal financial assistance was available. Dealing with the small holdings, such as fruit farms and homes, the speaker said there had not yet been much inquiry along those, lines. He thought the Initial expenditure in connection with fruit farms, and the fact that little return was yielded for several years, was a drawback to that class of settlement. The Agricultural Department could give plenty of advice, but knowledge and experience were essential.

Mr. Sprat t referred to the very great difficulty of setting up discharged soldiers in business. The Government had, up to the present, done nothing in that respect. The Taranaki "War Pielicf Association had made grants to soldiers for such purposes, but he thought it was the only association in New Zealand that had done ho. Dealing with trades and professions, the speaker pointed out what the Government was doing for men who desired, or who were practically compelled, to learn a new.trade or profession, through the technical schools, and referred to the financial assistance allowed during the period of learning such new calling. Mr. Spratt reminded his hearers of the agencies specially set up for the purpose of assisting discharged soldiers, and urged the men to make full use of their own association. Mr. Spratt was heartily applauded at the conclusion of his address, and the members present were then entertained to supper by the Mayoress and Miss Sole.