H—lB

65. The Licensing Control Commission's decisions during the year authorizing a number of new wines and spirits wholesale licences in several North Island centres has attracted considerable interest by ex-servicemen who are looking for their permanent rehabilitation in the wholesale-liquor trade. A number of applicants with sound commercial backgrounds and experience have already approached the Department for support of their applications to local Licensing Committees. It is expected that there will be eligible and suitably qualified ex-servicemen applicants for all wholesale licences which may be authorized. (iii) Motor-vehicles 66. There is a heavy demand by disabled ex-servicemen and ex-servicemen in business for lower-priced light to medium cars, and during the year special arrangements were made to obtain 427 cars in this class for delivery to ex-servicemen nominated by the Rehabilitation Board. Allocations have been made according to the relative rehabilitation merits of applicants and the urgency of their need for a new car. (iv) Import Licences 67. During the year 126 ex-servicemen were granted import licences by the Customs Department on the recommendation of the Rehabilitation Board. The total value of licences granted was £256,652. 68. The 1950 Import Licensing Schedule did not contain many variations from the previous year's Schedule and, in consequence, ex-servicemen wholesalers whose licences normally provide for no more than a reasonable livelihood have not faced the difficulties which were experienced in previous years, when certain tariff items were reduced. SECTION XI—FARM TRAINING AND SETTLEMENT (i) General 69. In October, 1945, the Farms Advisory Committee investigated all aspects of farm settlement for ex-servicemen, and it was estimated that a minimum of 8,000 men would require to be established on farms with rehabilitation assistance. The Committee endeavoured to plan for the bulk of this work to be accomplished within a period of four years. However, in April, 1947, it became apparent that the total number of men to be settled would not be less than 10,000 and this figure has been adopted as a target with the object of settling the men by 1952-53. the settlement target set for each year has been either reached or exceeded, and in no other year has the result been more gratifying than in the year under review. (ii) Administration 70. As with Farming Sub-committees the Farms Advisory Committee found its attention directed more and more to problems associated with post settlement. The Committee met regularly, and amongst the most important matters dealt with were—(a) Review and progress of settlement generally and the problem ahead. (b) Review of the settlement policy for the establishment of ex-servicemen in fruitgrowing and poultry-farming. (c) Rates of pay and subsidies for all classes of farm training, and ex-servicemen employed on land settlement blocks with promise of title. (d) Assistance to ex-servicemen who suffered unexpected and severe losses. (e) Settlement of ex-servicemen on land which is not fully developed. (/) Eligibility of ex-servicemen to obtain or retain "A" Grade certificates when not employed in farm work. (g) Farm refresher courses for ex-servicemen. (h) The problem of obtaining sufficient land for ex-servicemen settlement. (*) Settlement of ex-servicemen as tobacco-farmers.

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