PROTECTION OF SOLDIERS.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 140, 13 June 1919, Page 6

PROTECTION OF SOLDIERS.

j THE AMENDING REGULATIONS. S ""About ten days ago the Auckland Chamber of Commerce drew the attention of the Auckland District Repatriation Board to the fact that soldiers and disfharsed soldiers were likely to be prejudicially affected by some of the j regulations" passed in relation to securing the advances made to the men. The j business men hold that it would prevent j credit being given to soldiers either for I stock for farms or goods for shops, if j the Government was a secured creditor. j Mr. A. TV. Gillies wrote regarding the ' matter to the Board at Wellington, and j has received in reply the following copy 1 from the "N.Z. Gazette" of June 2, 1919: | Amending Regulations for the Protection of Soldiers and Discharged Soldiers. . Schedule.— (1) ln these regulations the expression "the principal regulations" means the Soldiers' Protection Regula- . lions, 1919. (2) Clause 2 of the principal regulations is hereby amended by omitting from the definition of "recently discharged soldier" the words "six months" and substituting the words "twelve months." (3) 1. Nothing in clause 3 of the regulations hereinbefore referred to shall apply to the proceedI ings taken with respect to the balance for the time being of an account current jof any soldier or discharged soldier with ' any bank or approved trading company |or approved merchant, or with respect jto any mortgage, bill of sale, or other j security securing such account current, S and all such proceedings may be taken , accordingly without the consent of the ; Attorney-General. 2. For the purposes lof this clause an approved trading com- | pany or approved merchant means any firm, company, or person approved in that behalf by the Attorney-General.— | (Signed) F. W. Furby, Acting Clerk of I the Executive Council. | In conversation regarding the whole ! matter, Mr. A. W. Gillies, chairman of j the Auckland District Repatriation 'Board, said he understood that in the I event of a 6oldier dealing with an approved trading company the firm would I not bo barred by clause 3. He took it that ' approved trading companies would mean any well known sound established firms. Dealing generally with the work of j the Board in Auckland, Mr. Gillies rel marked that they found Dr. Buck a

great assistance in handling caees of Maori soldiers applying for assistance. He considered, speaking as to soldiers generally, that the Board should have increased powers as to the limit of advances to be made to soldiers' going on the land. They had found the power to grant up to" £300 of the greatest advantage in starting soldiers in "business where they had a good chance of success. What the Board now wanted'waa an increased limit in dealing with soldiers going on the land. The Lands Board could lend up to £750 on freehold security. At present the Board could only advance up to £300 to a soldier on the land who had taken up leasehold. Many soldiers wished to have leaseholds, but required money advanced for 6tock and buildings. The idea of the Board was in the event of the limit being extended, that a valuer from the Lands Department should report on each property before any advance was made. The security would be quite as good as lending two soldiers £300 each for a taxi car.