POST-WAR PLANS

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 106, 29 January 1943, Page 4

POST-WAR PLANS

State Rehabilitation Programme MINISTER’S REVIEW (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) OHRISTOHUROH, January 28. A comprehensive statement on the Government’s rehabilitation plans was released this morning by the Minister of Rehabilitation, Mr. Semple. 'The Rehabilitation Act, passed in 1943, provided the administrative machinery, he said, it also envisaged the handling of the gigantic problem of post-war economic and social reconstruction. The .Government had not set up a special department, hut had taken the 'view that the services of all the existing State departments and other organizations that would be of any value should be harnessed under a general plan. However, the administrative dovetailing of the work of interested departments and organizations had been provided for. This was achieved by constituting the Rehabilitation Division of the National Service Department as an administrative secretariat directly responsible to the Rehabilitation Board, with district rehabilitation officers acting as local committee secretaries. Thereby any aspect affecting the case of any ex-servicemen would come to the notice of the rehabilitation officer who would call on the appropriate department or organization for the assistance needed. Special-Facilities. AH existing technical and Correspondence School facilities were available free of charge to ex-servicemen or women and, in addition, arrangements would shortly be announced in detail about other special facilities. The special facilities would provide for (1) free places in technical schools and bursaries to selected men for post-primary and university education; (2) post-graduate scholarships of £250 per annum up to three years; (3) men selected for full-time tuition at universities in medicine, dentistry, etc. to be paid sustenance nt the same rates as trade trainees, plus cost of' fees, books, etc.; (4) students under (2) and (3) may be required to rrve the Nexv Zealand Government for a period of three years; and (5) grants to cover cost of books for approved courses, other than at a university.

Furthermore, added the Minister, a considerable sum for bursaries for servicemen and servicemen's children for books, instruments, fees and materials was being set aside. Placing Returned Men.

The Rehabilitation Division, through its local officers, was responsible for finding employment for all ex-servicemen or women needing help. To date,, it had been directly responsible for placing 5(1 returned men and one returned woman, and 1361 demobilized men and two demobilized women in employment of various kinds. In addition to employment arranged through the rehabilitation officers, men regarded as unemployable were being trained in special occupations at vocational training centres .set up and operated by the Disabled Servicemen’s Re-establishment League. More far-reaching plans for the league’s operations were envisaged. The creation of up-to-date vocational centres was being put in hand, and a survey of the absorptive capacity of various local bodies as far as works that needed to be put in hand were concerned was at present being carried out. A comprehensive plan was in process of formation to ascertain the absorptive capacity of industry from time to time, and the opportunities therein for men suffering- from various disabilities, as xveii as those xvho were fit but not specially trained. The auxiliary workers’ training scheme was in process of conversion Io a rehabilitation trade training scheme. Tlie war situation, together with the unpredictability of farming conditions in the immediate post-war period, had necessarily delayed the announcement of farm settlement measures for ex-servicemen. However, much research xvork had been done and, as soon as feasible, details of the scheme worked out would be announced, added the Minister. Loans to ex-service-men by tlie State Advances Corporation for purchase of houses, furniture, tools of trade, businesses, and farms, totalled £227.808 for tlie whole of tlie Dominion up to the end of December. The Dominion total of applications authorized was 641