CIVIL LIFE AGAIN

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 80, 2 October 1944, Page 7

CIVIL LIFE AGAIN

SERVICE PERSONNEL

LATEST RETURNS

Latest returns supplied by the Rehabilitation Department show that to the end of August the number of New Zealand servicemen and service women demobilised totalled 51,311, of whom 28,236 had returned from overseas, the balance having been on home service. During August J496 personnel from overseas wer-e demobilised and 643 who ha.d "been on home service, making a total for the month 2139. To date -6422 rehabilitation -loans have been authorised of a. total value of £3,676,180. The loans have been for iarms (481 applicants and value of £1,485,787), erection of Jiouses (301 and £389,825), purchase of houses (1201 and £1,184,525), purchase of businesses (716 and £293,756), purchase of furniture (3442 and.£311,915), tools of trade (260 and £7793). Since. the inception of the rehabilitation allowance scheme, from March 1, 1943, to August 12 last, the amount disbursed for this purpose has been £318,777. Special grants by the rehabilitation board of varying amounts total £3526. ■ The number of .State rental houses and flats allocated to returned servicemen, widows of deceased servicemen, and wives of prisoners of war up to the end of August totalled 1975, this total including 134 units allotted during last month. There are still 4054 applications from ex-servicemen which have, not yet been satisfied, as against 31,524 applications .still; pending .from civilians. .. ,'. ; VOCATIONAL TRAINING. There are' 124 servicemen, from the present war undergoing training at the vocational training centres established in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, and Invercargill. A total of 754 servicemen have been granted educational facilities of various kinds. Applications to date for farm training total 521 of which 46^ have been approyed. At present 180 men are under training, of whom 102 are with private farmers: Up to the end of August 57,600 acres of land had been purchased under the Small Farms Act for subdivision for the settlement of ex-servicemen. The area, it is. stated, will provide approxi-: mately 200 economic units, excluding an undetermined -number of irrigation units on the 80.00—9000-acres of the Valetta-Tinwald. Mock in Canterbury which cannot be developed until water is available from the Rangitata diversion race.

"nie Crown has acquired 22 singleunit properties under the Servicemen's Settlement and Land Sales Act and nine other properties which it is stated are capable of subdivision and will provide 22 units. . The report states that the number of amputees from this war. now totals 298.