NEW PLAN NEEDED

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 202, 24 May 1944, Page 5

NEW PLAN NEEDED

Work Of Rehabilitation RETURNED MEN’S VIEWS Dominion Special Service, AUCKLAND, May 22. A proposal that an organization be set up within the Returned Services Association to frame a policy for the rehabilitation of ex-servicemen was made at a conference of 25 delegates from 13 branches of the association in the Auckland district on Saturday. Mr. L. C. Logan, district vice-president, presided. Contending that it was impossible to achieve rehabilitation with the present machinery. Mr. K. G. Walsh, Pukekohe, said the country would first have to get hack to the principle of a fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay. He condemned the high costs, particularly of transport of produce, which prevented the expansion of the Dominion’s rural activity, and said there was wonderful country in the hinterland which could not be worked because of transport costs, which made the cost of production prohibitive. ‘ Instead of beiti" driven to the city, people should be attracted fo the country and the way to do this was to assure them of a good living, Mr. Walsh continued. Unless there was also a policy of expansion of industry and population in the Dominion all attempts-to rehabilitate servicemen would fail. The U.S.A, had in its ranks university professors, professional men, farmers and all sorts of experts. who should be able to work out a scheme.

Mr. Walsh moved that the conference affirm its support of the establishment of an U.S.A, national council of rehabilitation and reconstruction.

Strdng criticism of the present machinery for rehabilitation was expressed by the president of the Auckland association. Mr. A. P. Postlewaite “The Rehabilitation Aet is administered by 10 independent Government departments, the main one being the State Advances Corporation,” he said “We are told that the Rehabilitation Board controls it, but that is only in theory. The body which provides the money—the State Advances Corporation—has all the power. The Minister’s Handicaps.

“There is a Rehabilitation Council, which is supposed to advise the Minister, Major Skinner. This body has met only once, or possibly twice, blow can it advise the Minister? In all the rehabilitation committees there are representatives of Government departments and, shortly I expect, they will all be chairmen. Rehabilitation is going fo be one of the worst scandals in the history of the Dominion.

“I know of no provision in the Act debarring a man who has seen service over? seas from the.benefits of rehabilitation, yet someone has decided that men returning from the Pacific must prove hardship. Who laid this down, I do not know, but I challenge his authority. Rehabilitation is for all men who have served overseas. , “If the State Advances Corporation has any financial plan to cope with rehabilitation when the men begin to come back in thousands I have yet to learn of it.” said Mr. Postlewaite. “Even now they are denying men the privileges of rehabilitation because there will not be enough money. Major Skinner is hampered because, if he wants finance he must go to Mr. Nash. He cannot even control his own department, but must go to other Ministers, who can prevent his carrying out his work. It is very disappointing.” Mr. Postlewaite maintained that there would lie) no progress till the Minister of Rehabilitation had his own department, with a Parliamentary vote of money to enable it to carry out its functions. He agreed that for rehabilitation to be a success there would’ have to be national reconstruction.

The conference agreed to support the proposal to establish an R.S.A. organization to consider and plan for both reconstruction and rehabilitation. A resolution was also adopted that no man or woman be declined the benefits of the Rehabilitation Act on the ground of Pacific service only and that all service personnel returned from overseas should automatically be eligible for rehabilitation.