BIG FORWARD JUMP

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 36, 11 October 1946, Page 3

BIG FORWARD JUMP

REHABILITATION FOR YEAR ALMOST 20,000 HOUSED “The past twelve months have seen a big jump forward in the WGrk of rehabilitating our ex-servicemen and women,’ said_ the Minister of Rehabilitation, the Hon. C. F. Skinner, recently. “Remarkable progress has been shown in every rehabilitation field, not the least of which is in that of housing. Indeed, were we to include those who have been assisted to obtain farms of their own, we have a figure approaening 20,000 representing the number of ex-ser-vicemen and women whose housing problems have been solved as a direct result of rehabilitation aid. ’ The Minister was commenting on the overall position as at August 31 last, which was the date of the latest available returns.

At that date 169,961 men and women had been demolised, which was almost double the demobilisation figure of one year before. Of these almost 103,000 had applied for and received some form of rehabilitation assistance, including about 49,000 who had been aided financially, that is by way of loans and grants. “Altogether we have so far authorised about £36,000,000 for all forms of rehabilitation,” said Mr Skinner, “and of that amount more than £21,000,000 was approved during the 12 months preceding September.” Substantial progress had been made with land settlement. A year ago 1117 ex-servicemen had been settled on their own farms; twelve months later the figure had more than doubled, reaching 2822, while a further 215 men were on sections carrying out development work and awaiting their titles. Similarly the number of men to build, buy or rent houses with rehabilitation assistance had more than doubled in the past twelve months, increasing from 8287 to 16,616. By adding those who had been placed on farms all of whom, of course, had houses, this figure was further increased' to 19,438, which meant that rehabilitation had been instrumental in housing almost 20,000 men of the recent war and their families. Other notable increased activity referred to by the Minister was in the fields of business, trade training and education.