RETURNED MEN

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 64, Issue 140, 24 March 1944, Page 4

RETURNED MEN

DUTY OF REHABILITATION. SETTLEMENT ACT DEFENDED. GREATER POWERS GIVEN. (Sp.) WELLINGTON, March 23. Important changes in Ihe rehabilitation organisation were announced in the House of Representatives this evening by the Minister of Rehabilitation (the. Hon. C. F. Skinner), in his Finance Bill speech. He indicated that much ' greater powers Avere being given, not only to district committees, Cut also to the board. Every member of the Rehabilitation Board, with one possible exception, A\-as a returned soldier. He was not sure about Mr Tai Mitchell.

Representatives of ’ the State Advances Corporation, of the Lands Department, and of the NatiA r e Affairs Department, sat on the board. The findings of the board Avould iioav be binding on the departments engaged in rehabilitation. Within the. frameAVork of the policy of the GoA r ernment, the decisions of the board would be final. Departments carrying out the work could be directed to carry out the findings of the board. There should be no difficulty in any Avay. Mr Skinner said that rehabilitation Avas being decentralised as much as possible. Local committees Avere being given much greater poAvers. They had done excellent Avork, but it Avas necessary for the board to have power to over-ride local committees if circumstances warranted. A Grudging Principle. Referring to criticism of the State Advances Corporation, the Minister said, that the guiding principle of the Corporation Avas to see that no one was settled on an uneconomic farm, and that no one went into a house that was not an economic proposition. He ,did not know of a single instance of a soldier settled who had been unsuccessful. More than 200 men had been settled on freehold farms. The total number of applications for farming loans and farm /training was less than 1000. Nine men were receiving training on rehabilitation farms, and 40 at agricultural colleges. Not A*ery many men Avere receiving farm training under the subsidy scheme and feAV farmers were willing to take these trainees. He appealed for more help from farmers- for this scheme. “A loan is not enough. The men should have some share of what they had helped to save.” This remark of Mr E. P. Aderman (Opposition, NeAV Plymouth) was' taken by Mr Skinner as summingup his views on rehabilitation. Dealing with the employment of men by former employers, Mr Skinner said that only SO employers had shown any hesitation. Against that 9000 men were Avorking for their former employers. That was not bad. One instance Avas a man Avho had Avorked at a Wairarapa freezing works and returned from the war Avith the loss of the sight of both eyes. He was found a job at the Avorks, and rode there every day with a mate on a tandem bicycle. Seemingly he Avas just as happy as he Avas before the Avar. That Avas real rehabilitation —a man getting back to his old job,' and getting almost las much pay. It Avas a splendid example of Avliat a private employer could do. In another case a soldier had lost both legs. His former employer trained him to use an accounting machine, and he Avas noAV seemingly quite happy. Mr W. J. Poison (Opposition, Stratford): Private enterprise is not so bad after all. Mr Skinner: 1 have nothing to say against private enterprise in this connection. The heart is'very much the same, whether it beats under a black coat or a suit of dungarees. Mr Skinner quoted another case where the spirit of the regulations had not been followed. This Avas a local body which had taken a former roadman back, but had not given him his old length of road, but another one 15 or 20 miles away from his home. Wearing of Uniform. The complaint that the time of the House had been Avasted in trivialities, such as whether lie- should Avear uniform, Avas made by Mr Skinner. Hesaid he kneAv that Opposition members Avho had spoken on that question Avere not genuine. But the Leader of the Opposition (Mr S. G. Holland), who folloAved him, assured Mr Skinner that lie had spoken in all earnestness. Mr Skinner said he Avas pleased that the men Avho were sacrificing so much could not hear some of the nonsense that hgd been talked in the House on the previous clay. He meant the discussion on the kind of clothes a man Avore in the Ildus*. It said little for tlie sense of responsibility of members' avlio talked it. “I would take it off tomorroAV or to-night if I thought it would save the time of the House,” said Mr Skinner. “I would sit here in my bathing suit if ;I thought it ivoul)d please the honourable member for Waikato. I would submit the materials and patterns for my civilian suits to him, if I thought those Opposition members were genuine about it, but 1 know they are not. I am proud to wear the uniform 1 am entitled to.” Mr Holland said he was one who had had something to say. He had spoken in sincerity. “The Minister has thrown down the challenge, and 1 have taken it up.” he added.