BUSIEST YEAR FOR REHABILITATION

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5330, 18 February 1947, Page 3

BUSIEST YEAR FOR REHABILITATION

j MINISTER CQMrtSlENTS ON 1846 ! ' FIGUEES. f Q "By far the busiest rehabilitation ' year so far," is the comment of the ! Minister of Rehabilitation, the, Hon. i G. F. Skinner, in a statement regard- | ing rehabilitation activity during 1946. j Wnereas rehabilitation authorisations | totalled £20,274,459 at the end of De- | cember, 1945, they had reached j £41,943,338 at the end of the year just ! past. Financial advances had risen : from 21,530 valued at £14,686,264 to ^ 40,935 with a value of £32,487,150. "It was encouraging to note that during 1946 a large number of fexservicemen were able to purchase farm ' and residential properties," added Mr. Skinner. "For instance, by the end of lasc year 3332 ex-servicemen had re- ! eeived rehabilitation assistance for ' single-unit farms as against 1504 at the same date 12 months previously, ' while 8234 had boughfc house properties compared with 4277 at- the end of ' Ileeember, 1945. Figiires for houscbuilding were 5078 and 2101 respec- , tively." ■ In the lield of State housing, a fur- | iher 1802 ex-servicemen received allocations during the year. Aliogether, inel.ulin'g those piaced on farms, 23,018 ex-servicemen had been assisted towards housing in one way or anothsr by the end of 1946. Of ali other rehabilitation activity, the most noticeable increase was in the number who had iaken advantage of the cducational t'acilities. At the end of last year the number was 18,411. At the conclusion of 1945 it v.as only "It stiil behoves everyone who can | assist lo fl0 so. Indeed it is a -luiy j wliich no member of the community j shcuid allow himself to forget. Where- | ever an opporti/nily presents itselr | to help an ex-serviceman in his task of establishment, then that opportJnity sliould not be negleeted," said the Minister.