PREFERENCES AND PRIORITIES

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 260, 31 July 1944, Page 4

PREFERENCES AND PRIORITIES

Rehabilitation Problems DIRECTOR SPEAKS OF HOUSES AND FARMS “Ten years ago the most outstanding problem in the country was employment, today tiie No. 1 problem is housing,” said the Director-General of Rehabilitation, Mr. F. Baker, addressing the council of the New Zealand Homeservicemen’s Association in Wellington on Saturday. ‘‘As a board, we have been in touch with all sorts of organizations, specially the State Housing Department, to see if it can be improved, but it is still difficult. “Wo have, therefore, had to establish some measure of preference and decided on a form of priority, that of restoring tlie man to his pre-war position in regard to housing. If the man had given up his house when he entered the forces, we endeavour, with Government finance if necessary, to find him a new house.” There were some seven or eight thousand men wanting houses immediately, and before the limited resources could be diverted to favour any particular group a certain standard of overseas service was necessary. There were more than 3500 men qualified to such standard for State houses, and it would lie some time before they could be satisfied, even though tlie board had arranged for 50 per cent, of the new houses to be set aside for them. “The figure for the men waiting for these houses grows faster than the number of houses becoming available,” said Mr. Baker. “\Vc cannot say: ‘You can all have a house.’ It has to be faced that it'cannot be done.” Tlie position with farmlands was the same. Land had been purchased, and the Government was experiencing the same difficulties as the farmers in its development because of shortages, such as fertilizer. Even where development was effected, housing questions remained. Also, there was practically no fencing wire to carry out sub-division, and the provision of machinery was in the same category. Under the farming grading scheme the board had 400 men eligible for farming immediately, in addition to 200 eligible for assistance but needing further training before they would fie ready to go on the land, and more were coming forward. “If the war ended now, the board would be faced witli five or six thousand men wanting immediate help to re-estab-lish themselves in farming. Rehabilitation.

“Rehabilitation means re-establishment in civil life. Every man cannot be made a farmer, any more than he can be made a doctor,” said Mr. Baker. “We have to keep a balance with the needs of the country, and when facilities are not there for every man to get his wish, tlie board has to decide who is to be selected. “Service has to be taken into account when we make a decision whether to reestablish a man to what lie would have had had he not joined the forces, or whether to help him to an improved position.”

The test for assistance was 12 months’ service, as a normal rule, but if a man had lost something, there was no question but that he should be helped. He was trying to see the hame servicemen received fair treatment, because they wanted to see every man fitted back into civil life. The board was not concerned whether a man had served overseas or not when it was a matter of trying to get back for him what he had lost by service.

Mr. C. W. Batten, a member of the f Rehabilitation Board, said the home scrl vicemen could assist in the work because 1 they had remained closely in touch with the conditions in the country. In welcoming Mr. Baker and Mr. Bat- , ten. the president of the association, Mr. R. P. Levien, said it had a membership of 5000, and a further potential member- * ship of 20,000. They were concerned because the benefits of rehabilitation did not appear to reach the home servicemen as tlie legislation intended. Home servicemen must be looked after by themselves. However broadminded the I large numbers of men from overseas now ’ in the rehabilitation organization might • be, they sub-consciously looked on the ■ problems with the eyes of the overseas ■ man. Home servicemen should be given ' the opportunity in official capacity of representing the views of their own class of ex-servicemen. Representation on Board. There was nobody on the board as the nominee of the home servicemen, or any of its sub-committees. With all respect, Mr. Levien said, Mr. Batten was not a representative of the home servicemen. “The problems of tlie home serviceman are 'being dealt with by. civilians overseas ex-servicemen in the service of tlie board, and X say, to borrow a phrase, the best intentions of the board are being sabotaged in the civil service,” said Mr. Levien. Mr. Baker: The board is doing all it can to negative that. Replying to a number of questions raised by members of the council. Mr. Baker said that the matter of representation on the board lay witli the Minister. There, were three vacancies on the rehabilitation council at present, and one on the board. All the department could do was to ask for them to be filled._ Only recently he Had written to the Minister asking for that to be done, and the letter included in the list of the organizations asking for representation that of the home servicemen. The Act, however, said that no one could serve on the board as the representative of an organization. Tenure of Farms. The tenure of purchased farmlands under rehabilitation was the same for the ex-serviceman as had obtained before purchase; the freehold farm remained freehold. With developed and subdivided land the tenure was 33 years’ lease, perpetually renewable. Referring to the matter of a notice posted in the Otahuhu railway workshops to the effect that no ex-servicemen would be accepted for the trade training schools, Mr. Baker said that if the schools were those under the rehabilitation board the notice was definitely wrong. (The member of the council who had brought the matter forward had stated that the notice bore a number which gave it an added official force.) Mr. Baker said he would point out. however, that the Railways Department was running its own schools of training and the board could not interfere with them. 'The council later decided to advise tlie Director of Stabilization that, while the association felt that claims of its members justified an allocation of 25 per cent, of the State bouses available, it had no desire to encroach on the 50 per cent, allocation existing for discharged overseas servicemen. A resolution, unanimously approved by the council, “that homes for tlie people should be given No. 1 priority in materials and labour, and Hint the Government be urged to adopt a planned programme embodying a progressive expansion of building. utilizing the finance, materials and labour as was done for defence construction.” is to be forwarded to the Government. In moving this resolution. Mr. W. J. Moore said it should tic emphasized that it referred to “homes for the people” and not “homes for servicemen.” Flans were also approved for correlation of information as. to the working of rehabilitation, as it. affected home servicemen. to facilitate the handling of cases on behalf of members of the association.