REPATRIATION COMMITTEE.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 June 1919, Page 6

REPATRIATION COMMITTEE.

A meeting of the New Plymouth Repatriation Committee was held last evening. There were present: Messrs C. H. Weston (chairman), W. J. Chainey, T. Furlong, C. Carter, F. W. Okey, R. J. Clarke, T. C. List, J. R. Rowlands, E. B. Ellenn, and H. R. Cattley.

Mr. EUerm, who attended the recent Dominion Conference of Returned Soldiers, submitted a report upon the business done at the conference, for which he was thanked. ! The Director of Repatriation wrote in [ regard to granting loans to soldiers who I are still receiving medical treatment as hospital out-patients and not quite ready for discharge. He advised that these cases should be treated on their merits. If a married man's discharge was being held up while he was receiving some final treatment, it would, no doubt, in many cases be advisable to make such a grant to enable him to set up housekeeping as soon as possible. Similarly, applications for business loans from mer who had not been discharged mighft be considered and preliminary negotiations entered into so as to have everything in training for launching out in business as soon as discharged.—Received. Mr. Rowlands, reported that, he had inspected the stock of an applicant desiring help.—Transaction completed. The secretary reported that he had had eight applications for land and one for a house. These had been furnished, for a house. These had been furnished with information and referred to the Crown Lands Commissioner.

Four applications for loans for the purchase of dairy stock and businesses were approved. One was refused, and another was held over for inquiry. The Repatriation Department wTote forwarding a letter from a Pihama returned soldier suggesting that a committee should be set up in the district to assist the New Plymouth' central committee in dealing with cases in that district —It was agreed that, owing to its isolation from the various centres, the Egmont County district should have its own committee, with or without connection with the New Plymouth committee, and a motion was passed to this effect, and suggesting that if a committee is set up the Department should ask the Egmont County Council, the Opunake Harbor Board, the Opunake Town Board, and the Egmont Patriotic Committee to nominate representatives to the committee.