N.Z. REPATRIATES

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 21, 25 July 1945, Page 8

N.Z. REPATRIATES

NO OBLIGATIONS

FULL REHABILITATION

"Ex-prisoners of war of all arms of the Services, irrespective of their medical grading1, can apply for any form of rehabilitation assistance," said the Minister of Rehabilitation (Mr. Skinner) today, adding that there appeared to be some people who had gained a wrong impression. The policy in regard to all ex-prisoners of war would be to give them complete freedom of choice of employment, in the same manner as applied to down-graded personnel. "These men have gone through some tough experiences," said the Minister. "It. is up to us, Government and people alike, to do.as much as is humanly possible to re-establish them in civil life. The sooner this is done the better. Most of them want to forget the past and concentrate on the future; if this can to some extent be accomplished through the benefits of rehabilitation then it will be an accomplishment which the Rehabilitation Board and Department will feel to have been well worth while. TECHNICAL RETENTION. "The fact that they do not get an actual technical discharge from the Services authorities should not worry these men. Actually no man in the upper medical gradings gets his discharge until the war is over, 'and yet many of these are, even now receiving rehabilitation assistance■ -sin cases where their technical obligations are no obstacle. The Government has decided that ex-prisoners of war will be free from man-power obligations and able to apply for all forms of assistance. That in itself is sufficient guarantee." It would assist toward speedier settlement of individual cases if exprisoners of war made their applications for assistance before the expiry of their leave period. However, it was realised that many would wish to give the whole matter weighty consideration before taking any definite step. In all cases it would be a good suggestion to talk their problems over with the local rehabilitation officer or district committee.