REPATRIATION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIII, Issue 31, 6 February 1919, Page 2

REPATRIATION

SOM® OF ThIT jNEBD FOR ‘ aX)QAt €OMMCFT®BS. WORK OF PARAMOUNT IMPORT- : ANGEL “ ■ Among those who are at alii 1 conversant with repatriation problems, the presen; unprepared state of* New Zealand, for reabsorbing the 50,000 to 60,000 soldiers l who aro due to xeturri Within the next seven or eight months is' occasioning no small an x ietyi It is "rue that the machinery, ■ o far as' Government is concerned, is being graduaJly established'; but while the'constructive critic desires to see this greatly expedited ho cannot but '■ express alarm at the general apathy of the public on. the subjfeet.'.Thif hpplics particularly’ to the appoiniriirint-- of' local 'committees concerning which wc have ; be\?n /told twice' liy the Central Repatriation IWard lately that* it has been uhabld' tb make'-ainy appointments ; owirtg /to ■ th«’ failure of the different organlsatiortl •concerned",to make the necessary nominations. ‘

SUCCESS DEPENDS ON - LOCAL ' COMMITTEES.

■ This aspect of the., matter cannot be viewed too seriously, for it: is-quite-cer-tain that upon the , co-operation of _ hardworking ‘local 'committees the whole success. of the repatriation ,scheme 'must very largely depend. This, inded, is .true nbt only; regarding -the scheme in progress of v. completion : in' N : e\V .Zealand, but in any repatriation scheme,"ho ;inatter how perfect its composition? uridine matter how able the adminiigfeatqhs appointed by th& ‘he. •Citizens, judging by' Hie' fai'hr'e .to' respond, have- apparently ,edi this all-important/ and at ■ is .yitaL that they• sh-buMr /dd ho' at' Once' if the problems now so rapidly /arising :are to. be satisfacihrily with. The baric priiicm"es whch everyone: through-, 'out New Zealandurgcntty requires to realise is ttosi' 1 ' “ No Government can successfully cany; out a-" rOpatriatiion on the Acale involved dn. in the Grea£.War,yyitbput jihej:Re^iest. '■ co operation of tnh citizens ' tneni- ’ selves, "V"/ 'V;' , SCOPE OP THEIR WORK. The reasons, to anyone who thinks, are obvious. They are brieflythese: *{l}' The Government /dries; Hot Jbontrol private: employment. * ’ ‘ (2), The' numbers of meta; returning,, all within the' space of a few months, . ape so great that no Government can i* hope to find Satisfactory-emptey merit i for them all, unless employers theniselv« *n Ml phases of f ‘mercantile, in- ; ' dristriaV and AgricutUral and pastoral : life make bbforehiarid the fullest provision for their' absorption. , (3) ' Many of the then ' wil desire to takb tip neW avbpatiqns, and the‘placing of -them Has to be arranged ’fori (4) Considerable riinnbers. of ' the ; men will have become so . rins3tt/©d , hi. I their mfental outlook as the, result-of | their service in' the 'field ’tha£ tf ey will require to-be constantly kept in ' touch' wtt^^ahd-'-Jkejped l with the Jbest . advice, tactMness, a and, practi;al assistance along the road of iite. / This work'«clearly, vital' though it is •in all its forms, cannot be accomplished •solely by the Government cr its spedal-ly-appoihted officers. ’ It can only bo satisfactorily carried out by l local committees r who are not afriu l of work, and are bent upon seeing’ tb.it the men who deserve so well cl their country ax© assisted in every po.sille wav.

The Repatriation Act passed last session provides for the appointment of a central•,■ repatriation board (comcidmg of s four a .director of repatriaton, district ’ repatriation boards, and 1 local committee?,, all of whom ate delegated with, duties . reaching down . the case of the local committees to dealing directly wi.li the men th i n.-ei vt-;, keeping careful watch oyer them, and 1 : generally looking after their, welfare. All with the exception of the local committees have been -appointed. Yet it is - upon xhe operations of the local committees that’ the whole of the rest are bahed. They constitute a mam structure. It must ba manifest to’ everjr'oine, therefore, that . without the k’-ca! com* ' whole edifice is in danger of dollapsq; . 1

' RESPONSIBILITY FOR FAILURE.

When will the people of New Zealand realise this 11 • ’ .

• Have - not the-men. who are returning 1 deserved well of them~tho best citizens c‘ari give? ‘ • . Who will be to blame if the repatriation scheme is attended by /‘trii-ic through the’ nori-appointment ot >wfncient and harclwpikirig ' coimnri.tff s. Will it be the Govefirjjhent 6r ke pen- . pie ■of New’Zealand/ wha when f appealvcd to did not respond? - / - ’ But does the Government yfarit .local oommattfeßs?- ■' '. ’’ It is' appealing ‘for 'hem- to-day, . but -so • far pone have ‘been ' fbrihcriming.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR SERVICE. J * tj\ ’■ •' *. . \ ' * '■ ' The wpVl(> indeed, ahead for the/ 'local committees is truly vast. They have, m a quiet, unobtrusive way, immense _ oppqri unifies ' ahead 1 of them for §m‘Vicc.. It has been l '-complained that our.men on ret-urrirng bora© are given but ' a poor reception —no'l band nriisic, no procesrions, no cheering, no dinners; in fact, that Affey are not made much ;6f. There are 1 some- men who Mike that;, sort .of thing; there are -others who would rather go straight home with their owp folk, regarding such public ‘tions. however iihcfcre at the rimC, as just so mlich". hot 'ah'.’ ’ prefer the practical' ride —-to see what' their ‘Courttry is. going to' do -for them. That, aft-ea' i all, Was the'main thing,-and that is Where the local 1 committees should | come in, ' “-nn It .is notorious that ,of; -.the, men 'wild have already returned, nriuiy, of them/ not riecCssairiiy ’ through any fault '6'f their ’Own, 1 are- wholly- ignorant - as to provisirin-k' ipad© lor ihem. They’are at"' sea regarding the' various , X'onaioris Acts; they know little or’no'thing of • the Discharge .Soldiers 1 Settle* mem, Act, and still less of’the rights , and privileges they are-'entitled to un- ( der the’Repatriation Act.' • Jl’ that - is--the case’with many of thelipdn who. have-already retlirued, then how much more will iipvova’so among the thousands of men who Will by arming pi e se‘n|(y s • ’ . *

TASK OF ENLIGHTENMENT. The/task ‘of enlightenment rests with the local committees. The repatriation' scheme '(cannot; succeed .without, local committees., ’• They will require 4 to do ’the lion’s share of the' wotk. The ’ local committees wul .need, to cap l , point,’ sub-commßtees wlthbut'-Tipflt' to their ' numbedthey are Jwjnired. Every brdftch- pf 'their work 'moriia bo thoroughly otganiaedt ‘ ’ ’ ’ . ’ In ! Groat 'Britain', ■in Canada, and m Australia/'' the ne<;oßsax , y A Toc^ l ccmmltCURE OF DRINK HABIT/ ' “Kindly post me two more packets of ‘Drink o *’ I can see a change ’ alSo writes a Napim‘ thother. Wo have hundred® of similar testimonials. Write' for-free booklet m sealed envelope describing this -t/ 1 secroi'drink core. Sato-'if Mr, Mrs, or Miss. Address Lady Manager, I>nnko Pronrielary, ” 812 A.M, Lambton - , Quay,: Wellingtefl/

tecs have for a Jong Time been doing this all-important work. They hold themselves responsible for looking after ’’the fliterests" and personal wel 1 arc of, every’.discharged in their j.cr|icuia.r district'or ' Arc/he people of Ne# ; Zealand/ o be behind ■ other countries :-in t doing . .this work Tor the‘men who have mad© such great sacrifices on thehA • -behalf,* and .who unquestionably will inquire all the help that can be given ?. Becauisq the war is over-the various.patriotic organisations- should not imagine that the scope •of their ©uergies has ceased. In the successful carrying out of the repatriation scheme ’here is, in fact, more rppm : for, continuing their patriotic e£f fdrt. thaii ever.' If anything of valuer is .to be dqne, however, they will- require -t6 'lose -ho time in perfecting their organisations and in joining up with the. local cojflihittees.