REHABILITATION OF SERVICEMEN

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27302, 19 March 1954, Page 12

REHABILITATION OF SERVICEMEN

MINISTER’S REMINDER ON APPLICATIONS

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON. March 18.

Former servicemen of W'orM War II have until March 31 to lodge new applications’ for educational assistance, trade training, and inclusion in the preferential quota of State tenancies. This reminder was given today by the Minister of Rehabilitation (Mr T. L. Macdonald). The Minister said the decision not to accept ariv further applications for these forms of assistance was first announced last April, and was the natural outcome of the diminishing demand for thpm. The decision did not affect meh who had served in the emergency forces in Korea or Malaya, men suffering from war disabilities for whom such help may still be essential to effect their permanent rehabilitation, or children of dead or totally disabled former servicemen. The Minister said that the gazetting of new regulations under the Emergency Forces Rehabilitation Act passed last year had made it possible lor the Rehabilitation, Board to provide rehabilitation assistance to New Zealand Army personnel seconded for duty with the Fijian forces now serving in Malaya, and to members of the Royal New Zealand Air Force Dakota transport flight who had served in the same area.

Mr Macdonald said that, as a general rule, in order to qualify for assistance an applicant from either of these groups must have either been in action in Malaya -or have served there for at least 12 months. Time spent in travelling to and from Malaya was taken into account in assessing the period of overseas service.

This decision placed former servicemen from Malaya on the same footing as those who had served in the Korean emergency, said the Minister