RECENT DRAFT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 34, 21 December 1945, Page 2

RECENT DRAFT

TYPES OF ASSISTANCE SOUGHT Educational and housing assistance were the forms of rehabilitation most sought after by members of a recent draft of servicemen to return I'rom overseas, according to information gained by an Air Force education officer on board one troopship. Of approximately 1600 New Zealanders, who returned in the draft by far the most were Air Force personnel more than 100 were of the 1 loyal Naval Volunteer Reserve and three were ex-prisoners liberated from the Japanese. Only one man in every seven, statr od that he required no assistance, while one in every four was uncertain as to what form the help he needed might take. One in every nine had had no previous civilian employment. In several cases more than one form of assistance was requested by the one person, for exi ample both educational aid and a housing loan. The reason put. forward by the education officer for the popularity of educational assistance was that the majority of the Air Force perrsonnel, although they had long service had a good educational background. lie also commented on the .surprisingly small number who insisted that they had no intention of returning to their pre-war occupations. Those who preferred a change lie addcxl showed a tendency towards farm or trade training with the eventual ownership in view r of a farm or small business. The number requiring tools of trade was, he thought, extremely small— five out of nearly 1600. The officer ? who joined the troopship at Melbourne said that during the. Tasman crossing private interviews were continuous, the topics in many cases extending beyond rehabilitation education and employment. Many who had left New Zea-i land before 1939 —and others who were coming to the Dominion for the first time—enquired regarding accommodation the cost of living and clothing, taxation, the social security scheme, petrol rationing, prices of the education oi children and so on. lie thought that the inclusion of an education officer was much appreciated on r board. All troopships, returning from overseas carry one or more education officers in most cases members of the Educational Rehabilitation Service.