Rehabilitation Work Falls Off In Levin

Chronicle (Levin), 19 March 1949, Page 4

Rehabilitation Work Falls Off In Levin

The future of the Levin Rehabilitation Office was discussed at the last week's meeting of the local committee. Mr. G. G. Rae, rehabilitation officer, Palmerston North, > tracedi the activity of, the offiee | since it became a separate B class office at the beginning of 1946, ( being directly responsible for all | rehabilitation activity over-an area bounded in the south by the Waikanae' River and! extending .north to include Foxton and' Shannon. The first officer to be appointed was Mr. J. Corbishley, followed by Mr. L. €. King, then Mr. G. S. Barclay up till November of last year, wheni the position was taken over by Mr. R. Matheson. The amount of work which had been 1 handled during the last three years had cer--tainly proved the worth of ,the office, said Mr. Rae, and -now that the work was showing a definite tendency to fall off , he had decided! to place it on a, part-time basis. The numtoer of applications being received 'at presehtfwas about half those which had been received art this time last year. • He was proud to think that the office had been able to serve the n^eeds of the exservicemen ih- the,'':district so well; The fact that the time had arrived to operate the office more economically was really a good sign. Mr. Rae produced~a list showing the actual number of applications, which were handled through the

office during the years 1946, 1947 and 1948. The 611 loan applicatiops were made up as follows: — Housing loans 212, furniture loans " 160, business loans 144, farm loans 95. Other applications covering a wide variety of assistance were:— Farm gradings 203, releases of feltex 113, releases of tools 83, releases of tyres (during rationing) 66, releases of equipment from War Assets Realisatioh Board 65, education assistance 39, "releases of rationed go'ods 28, applications for trade training (under various schemes) 22, releases of new trucks 18, releases of blankets 15, special letters of . recommendation 15, import licehces 13, discount payments on- gratuity accounts 10, grants for removal expenses 7, releases of new cars 5, and special grants 3, In addition to these cases, the office had handled applications for State rental houses, the waifi'ng list now standing at more than 40 returned servicemen desirous of obtaining a State house. He pointed1 out that these figures did not include assistance afl'orded before the office was placed1 on a» separate full-time basis. In announcing that the office . would be open to the public on. Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from the we4k commencing. March 14, Mr. Rae 'explained that he felt sure it could'now fully serve the needis of ex-servicemen in the three diays it would |be open. ■ ! ■