RETURN’ TO CIVIL LIFE

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23801, 21 November 1942, Page 4

RETURN’ TO CIVIL LIFE

Post-War Problem CONFERENCE CONFIRMS RECOMMENDATIONS The third of a series of conferences convened by the Christchurch Heturned Services’ Association to prepare to meet problems arising out of tne return of men and women to civu life after the war (particularly, where the interruption of apprenticeships and studies is concerned) was held last evening, Mr Colin Miln presiding. Representatives of educational, business, and industrial groups were present, and also Major J. D. Hutchison, representing the military. The recommendations adopted on October 16 were confirmed with a few alterations, the delegates having m the meantime placed the original clauses before the groups they represent. Resolutions which were confirmed m their original form, after discussion, included those to the effect that the best possible educational courses should be provided for persons at present in the forces as far as possible without interfering with their training: that the accommodation at technical colleges and similar i ns^“u " tions should be improved now; that the school leaving age be raised to 16 immediately at the end of the war, that the forces should be demobilised gradually after the war to allow the older members to be discharged first; and another clause providing for adjustment (by subsidy) of remuneration to apprentices on the basis of the time they would normally have served in the war years. New'or amended resolutions were to the effect that a vocational guidance officer should be placed on ■ each returning troopship; that it should immediately be made the function of Youth Centres, working in with the ■ rehabilitation boards, to undertake the guidance, placement, apd rehabilitation of men and women up to 21 years of age; and that full consideration be given to the continuance of adult apprenticeship and factory trainee schemes for returning members of the forces. In the early part of the discussion, Mr W. A, Bascand (Manufacturers' Association) said: “It is true that there are members of the forces coming into their former places of employment when on leave and complaining that they are fooling their time away whore they are. There is a growing public consciousness of, the fact that young men are idling away their formative years, and that their abilities are atrophying. It would be a tragedy for New Zealand if this went on for three years or so.” He urged the provision of educational facilities even at the expense of part of the time set aside for military training. “Certainly, the closer. we can keep our men in relation to civil life during the war. the lighter will be the burden of rehabilitation,” said Mr Miln. The conference’s recommendations will be made known to the Government and the various authorities likely to be concerned.