WEARING OFF

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 64, 18 December 1946, Page 6

WEARING OFF

COMMUNITY ENTHUSIASM FOR REHABILITATION MINISTER’S APPEAL A noticeable wearing-off in community enthusiasm for rehabilitation was commented upon by the Minister of Rehabilitation, the Hon. C. F. Skinner, addressing the quarterly meeting of the Rehabilitation Council. In moving the adoption of the chairman’s report, he appealed to council members to do all they could to keep enthusiasm alive and arrest any feeling that might exist suggesting that the debt to the serviceman had been paid. “I feel there are indications throughout the country of a conflict of loyalties regarding rehabilitation,” said Mr Skinner. “The conflict is usually between the interests of the ex-serviceman seeking rehabilitation on the one hand and, on the other, the interests of those who could help or of the organisations they might represent.” $ Conflict of professional or business interests often resulted in such situations as an ex-serviceman solicitor acting for a civilian client in an appeal against a transport 1 licence being issued to another . exserviceman. The same sometimes occurred in business, such as where an old-established ex-serviceman or civilian businessman would watch with some misgiving an ex-service-man being established in business across the street.

In a more general way people were not so keen on rehabilitation as before and assistance from members of the community seemed to be wearing off. For that reason alone the time seemed to be arriving when council members could do more than ever before to assist in the task.

“We are approaching a stage which will be critical in the history of rehabilitation,” said the Minister. “We have to keep alive among the people the feeling that we have still a debt to pay, and council members can do much to keep that feeling •alive.” ' The Minister also commented on the complete absence of criticism of the rehabilitation scheme' during the recent election campaign. This he considered very gratifying. He had travelled several thousands of miles and addressed over 80 public meetings during the campaign and such criticism that had been levelled at rehabilitation had been on minor administrative details together with occasional complaints regarding delays. Since election’s were usually occasions when grievances were freely aired it was perhaps surprising that so little ,in ’the way of criticism had been brought up. . *

Everything had, however, been done to keep rehabilitation out of politics and make it the effort of a complete cross-section of the people. He felt results were very gratifying. The Minister thanked Council members for all they had done towards making rehabilitation successful.