REPATRIATION.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXVIII, Issue LXXVIII, 25 July 1919, Page 5

REPATRIATION.

THE CANADIAN ORGANISATION

WELLINGTON, July 24. The development of the Canadian system of repatriation has many features of interest to New Zealandere, j 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 Zealand. Here, we have a Repatriation Board, comprising four Ministers whose departments are concerned with different aspects of the civil re.ectablishment of the while. Canada now controls its repatriation activities through a ministerial board" of six, comprising the Minister of Immigration and Colonisation (who is the chairman), the Minister of Soldiers Civil Re-establishment; the Minister of the Interior; the Minister of Labor; the President of the Privy 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 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 certain points to assist 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 Immigration and ColonI isation superintends the return of soldiers' wives and dependent*, a duty in j New Zealand undertaken by the De- | partment of Immigration, which ren- | ders assistance to the wives and dependants in the same way as if they were nominated or assisted immigrants [ an officer meeting each returning trans! port to give advice and help in the way of securing travelling facilities and accommodation. Six Ministers of the Canadian Government constitute a Repatriation Committee, which aims at co-ordinating the work of the public departments as in*V cate^ above, and also the activities' of the Provincial Government Departments, and such public organisatione as .social and fraternal societies and returned soldiers' associations. This Ministerial committee works through the Department of Soldiers' Re-estab-lishment, the New Zealand counterpart of which is known as the Repatriation Department. Canada possesses a Department of 1 übhc Information, and goes in for a great deal of publicity work in. connection with the returned soldier's reestabhshment 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 hae been distributed to the newspapers by a journalist engaged by the Defence Department, so that in this—although n ot on the same scale—New Zsbland's system is parallel with'that of its-sister Dominion. : _One of the most effective publicity, efforts in Canada has been the display or a five-reel film, depicting military hospital life, industrial retraining. SSTV"^!* 116 fitting <>f artificial limbs. The film is entitled "Canada's Work for Wounded Soldiers." Set« of Slide lecture notes, -accompanied by .lantern slides, are distributed free of charge to those whoar c capable of lecturing on the subject of repatriation and advertising posters are also supplied gratis to the lecturers. -.All the Lanafiian workers concerned in repatriation are kept well informed on the subject by an official magazine attractive y printed with a colored cover and entitled -Back to Mufti- a S hw IL the < S ltere6ts °f Canadians who have been 'Over There.'"