REPATRIATION BILL.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume VIII, Issue 312, 5 December 1918, Page 6

REPATRIATION BILL.

TWO YEARS LATE. In his speech on the Repatriation Bill in the House of Representatives last night. Captain Downie Stewart whose experience as a soldier and convalescent renders his opinion valuable, was severe in his criticism of the Bill. The member said the Bill was belated. The organisation should have been developed long ago. Only now. after four years of war, curative workshops were being equipped at Rotorua. These should have been running two years ago. Disabled soldiers had been compelled to idle their time away, b?ing entertained by the kind people of Rotorua, and there was nothing more disintegrating for soldiers under the test as lack of occupation. Also, men were retarded in their recovery because they were worried about the futures. The organisation for repatriation ought to touch those undischarged men. He did not consider the constitution of the Repatriation Board suitable for the work the Board would have to do. The S roper course would be to make one [inister wholly responsible for repatria* ion. He did not support the general objection to a military man having to do with repatriation. All would depend on the character ami personality of the man. In England General Richardson wa doing quite extraordinary work n the preparation for repatriation. It seemed that the proposed scheme was elaborate and too cumbersome for easy working. Local boards fully representative of all elen ents, would be too big to do useful work. What the Boards should consider was both the discharged soldier and his family. Evidently here was no certainty as to the pro! able cost of the scheme. Australia has estimated forty millions would be required for repatriation. If Clause I 6 were administered wise’y and with great leniency a cancelia ion of discharge might prove valuable.