OWN FINANCE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 153, 30 June 1944, Page 4

OWN FINANCE

SERVICEMEN'S AID

R.S.A. REHABILITATION PLAN (fjpecial Reporter) WELLINGTON, this day. The policy of the R.S.A. regarding rehabilitation was again affirmed at L the open session of the Dominion. council yesterday afternoon. The . prinicple features were that the Minister should have full charge of the administration of the Act, and that the Department should not be dependent upon any Government Department for finance. Mr. G. A. Hayrien, chairman of the R.S.A Rehabilitation Committee, stated that it had been said that, constitutionally, that provision could not be granted, but that was all bunkum. Every other Department had its own grant, and they could not conceive any reason why rehabilitation could not also have its own finance. The R.S.A. also desired that the Rehabilitation Department should operate the Act, and that State Departments and other organisations should act as agents only of the Rehabilitation Board. The policy suggested the reconstitution of the board, that it be fulltime and consist of six persons, and that Departmental officers be not members of the board, but act in an advisory capacity only when required. Mr. liayden stated that the board at present consisted of five Departmental officers and three independent officers, one of whom was a member of Parliament, while the other two, Mr. Batten and Mr. Gasper, were the only two full-time members. The R.S.A. policy further strongly advocated that decentralisation be carried out by the appointment of district rehabilitation committees with executive powers to grant loans and other general powers, the personnel of district committees to be chosen from the local rehabilitation committees and to include at least one representative of the R.S.A. The policy, as outlined by Mr. liayden, was adopted unanimously without discussion of any clause.