REPATRIATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 July 1919, Page 6

REPATRIATION.

THE CANADIAN ORGANISATION. • Wellington, July 23. The development of the Canadian, system of repatriation lias many features of interest to New Zealanders, especially as the two countries, in handling the problem independently have 'both adopted practically the same methods. Canada commenced with a Minister "of Repatriation, as was at first proposed in New Zealand. There was a strong demand in this country for the abolition { of the Ministerial Repatriation Board, in favor of one Minister of Repatriation, and it is interesting ,to see that Canada, after some experience of this system, remodelled its repatriation organisation on lines very similar to those in operation in New Zcalant. Here, we have a Repatriation Board, comprising four Ministers whoso departments arc concerned with different aspects of thfe civil re-establishment of the soldier, while Canada now controls its repatriation activities through a ministerial board of six, comprising the Minister of Immigration and Colonisation (who is the cliairman); the Minister of Soldiers' Civil Reestablishment; the Minister of the Interior; the MinMcr of Labor; the President of the Pr"y Council; and the Minister of Agriculture. It is recognised in Canada, as in this country, that while there must be one co-ordinating body, the Repatriation Board, the machinery of repatriation can be worked by many other departments and organisations extending their responsibilities to specially provide for the returned soldier. The Canadian Department of Labor conducts employment offices, while the Department of the Interior deals with land settlement and advances of money for land purchase and improvement, in the same way as the Lands Department in New Zealand. The Canadian Department of Interior has a Soldiers' Settlement Board to deal with this phase of its work. The permanent work of the Department of Agriculture is adapted at eertain points to assists soldier settlers, as it assists farmers generally, which is exactly how the New Zealand Department of Agriculture is aiding in the work of repatriation. The Canadian Department of Immigratirn and Colonisation superintends the return of soldiers' wives and dependents, a duty in New Zealand undertaken by the Department of Immigration, which renders assistance to the wives and dependents in the same way as' if they were nominated or assisted immigrants, an officer meeting each returning transport to give advice and help in the way of securing travelling facilities and accommodation. Six Ministers of the Canadian Government contitute a repatriation committee, which aims at co-ordinating the work of the public departments as indicated above, and also the activities of the Provincial Government Departments and such public organisations as social and fraternal societies and returned soldiers' associations. This ministerial committee works through the Department of Soldiers' Re-establislnnent, the New Zealand counterpart of which is known as the Repatriation Department. Cannda possesses a Department of Public Information, and goes in for a great deal of publicity work in connection with the returned soldiers' re-estab-lishment in civil life. New Zealand has no official department of the same type, ■but the Repatriation Board has readily secured the help of the newspapers in publishing information, and a regular supply of articles on demobilisation and the facilities provided for returned soldiers has been distributed to the newspapers by a journalist engaged by the Defence Department, so that in this although not on the same scale—New Zealand's system is parallel with that of itssister Dominion. One of the most effective publicity efforts in Canada has been the display of a five reel film, depicting military hospital life, industrial re-training courses, and the fitting of artificial limbs. _,The film is entitled "Canada's Work for Wounded Soldiers." Sets of slide lecture notes, accompanied by lantern slides, are distributed free of' charge to those who are capable of lecturing on the subject of repatriation, and advertising posters are also supplied gratis to thci lecturers'. All the Canadian worsers concerned in repatriation are kept Well informed on the subject by an official magazine, attractively printed with a colored cover, and entitled "Back to Mufti"—a magazine in the interests of Canadians who have been "Over There."