AFTER SERVICE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 176, 5 November 1941, Page 5

AFTER SERVICE

NEED OF SOLDIERS

REHABILITATION SCHEME

A recommendation of the. Lands Settlement and Rehabilitation Committee that the Government be approached for the purpose 1 of impressing upon it the immediate urgency of having the Rehabilitation Act and its machinery, including the Soldiers' Civil Re-establishment League, put into operation was adopted unanimously by the conference of tlie Dominion Council of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association last week. "The idea is to see that there is no further delay in having at least some branches of the rehabilitation machinery commence work, particularly the Soldiers' Civil Reestablishment League, which is ready for action," said the Dominion vice, president (Mir B. J. Jacobs), who was chairman of the committee.

On the committee's recommendation the following motion was approved:—"That the whole of the administration and control of the rehabilitation of ex-servicemen, including land settlement and finance, be placed under a single unified body on Avliicli the ex-servicemen shall have representation as set out in the proposals of the N.Z.R.S.A. "in relation to the Rehabilitation Act."

Mr H.. McCormick (Wellington), a member of the Dominion executive, outlined the proposals made to the Government before the Bill was brought down. Although it did not appear in the Act, lie said, they had a definite assurance from the Government that where applications for financial assistance were made to the local manager of the State Advances Department, that official would have no authority to turn down any application, but would have to send it on to the board. That was reasonably satisfactory, since any refusal must come from the board.

Mr Jacobs said that four members of the proposed council would be directly representing the interests of returned men and women..

Other Remits

Other remits considered by the committee were adopted as follows —

"That where unimproved. land js purchased it be brought into firstclass conation before settlement and valued according to producing capacity, and that that be the basis of value to the occupant.

"That Grown leases granted to members of the 2nd N.Z.E.F. include the right to acquire the freehold in accordance with the stated policy of the N.Z.R.S.A.

"That men returning from active service who are fit for employment should receive military pay and allowances until such time as they are found suitable permanent employment.

"That this council impresses upon the patriotic authorities the necessity of setting aside adequate funds for after-war and supplementary assistance to rehabilitation in like manner to the war relief funds of the last war.

"That the Government be urged to allow the soldier reasonable time to take advantage of the provisions of the rehabilitation scheme so that the soldier is not hurried into any civilian occupation without due 1 con, sideration of his responsibilities."