THE D.S.S. ACT.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 153, 28 June 1919, Page 14

THE D.S.S. ACT.

A FOE.ESHADOV7ED AMEXDIIEXT. Arising out of representation? made by the Auckland Repatriation Department in regard to the position of leaseholders, the~ following communication has been sent by the Ministerial Board: — "The Director of Repatriation submitted to the Ministerial Board at its last meeting your memo, asking that authority might be granted to your board to make grants in excess of the £3')o maximum fixed by the Act to discharged soldiers who. by reason of the nature of their leases, are ineligible for receiving assistance from the Lands Department under the Discharged So.i.iers* Settlement Act. I am now directed to say that the Ministerial Board, while in full sympathy with the proposals of your board, regrets that it hai absolutely no authority to make advances in excess of the limit fixed by the Repatriation Act. The necessity for an amendment to the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Act, to enable the Lands Department to assist discharged soldiers who own leases other than those administered by the land boards, is now recognised, and legislation to extend the powers of the Department in this direction is now being prepared for the consideration of Cabinet. The Ministerial Board is, there/ore, placing the representations of your board before the Minister for Lands, and regrets that it is unable to do more than this under the law as it stands"