REHABILITATION OFFICERS

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24187, 21 February 1944, Page 4

REHABILITATION OFFICERS

MOST APPOINTMENTS MADE ANNOUNCEMENT SOON Questioned in Christchurch oB Saturday, the Director of Rehabilitation (Lieutenant-Colonel F. Baker) said he expected that the Minister ox Rehabilitation (the Hon. C. F. Skinner) would make an announcement within a few days concerning the appointment of the principal rehabilitation officers in the main centres, including Christchurch. The majority of appointments, he said, had already been made, and it now remained tor the Minister to make the official announcement. , While in Christchurch Colonel Baker conferred with the local Rehabilitation Committee and represe - tatives of other committees m j North Canterbury district and discussed several matters pertaining to the welfare of former servicemen, including recent changes in the administration of his department. He also explained the assistance that v^. s J 3^} n f given by his department, which naa recently taken over the control or education and the rehabilitation training centres. “The trade schools a. ,c now under our direction,” .he sain, “and we are runninc (hem ourselves, also the direction of former servicemen employed by private employers under subsidies. ‘in association v’t-o the local committees and the district rehabilitation officers.” Asked whether his department was going to make a survey of clothing costs for returned soldiers, as it had been suggested recently that the present mufti allowance of £25 paid to discharged men was totally inadequate, Colonel Baker replied that the matter was really one for the Army authorities. Beyond saying that some preliminary inquiries had been made, he declined to comment.