REHABILITATION.

Evening Star, Issue 24918, 16 July 1943, Page 2

REHABILITATION.

.Perusal of; the well-reasoned address by Mr W. W. Mulholland at the annual conference at Wellington of the New Zealand Farmers' Union brings realisation, of tho difficulties that "will be.encountered when the war ends in providing useful openings for returned soldiers. Many of them, of course, will go back to the work On which they were engaged when, they were called away, but numbers, for various reasons, will not have such opportunities, and some will not bo anxious to avail themselves of them. Mr Mulholland sums up. the position fairly when he declares that the aim of a.rehabilitation policy should bo to enable each individual to find the niche in which he can make the greatest contribution to the happiness and welfare of himself and the community whiie freely living his own life with the minimum of interference from the State or anyone else. It is clear that the greatest care and wisdom will be necessary on the part of the Government and rehabilitation bodies in.framing and carrying out a policy that will be effective. After, the last war many mistakes were made, particularly in the matter of land settlement, and the experience gained from them should be helpful as a guide in the future. There should be no rushing into hasty and ill-devised schemes, nor should there be reliance on extended public works plans to absorb the labour that will be available.

Tho whole policy should be one of gradual adjustment, and iu Mr Mulliolland's view the way will he open for this from the fact that a considerable military establishment will bo necessary for some time. This will provide a barrier against sudden demobilisation with resulting unemployment. Mr'Mnlholland suggests that returned servicemen should be entitled to a substantial bonus, not to be paid in cash, but held in reserve for starting an approved enterprise. Where the money is not used for this purpose it should eventually, be made available for the purchase of an annuity against disability or old age. This is a proposal that has many points in its favour. On the question of providing small holdings a word of caution is uttered. These must be limited, to situations where soil, climate, and markets make successful cultivation possible, aiul again care must be.taken that this form of settlement is not overdone, resulting in flooded markets. In' purchasing land, the question of values is the most important consideration, so that farms may be provided at values offering reasonable prospects of being worked successfully. Land values were greatly inflated in the developments' after the last war, and brought a crop of troubles in their train. Steps will have to be taken to prevent a re-

currence of this evil.. Tn his address Mr )tiilholland touched on many of tin.' root problems that will have to bo faced in initiating a rehabilitation policy, in which the cardinal aim must be to make the conditions of the men who fought lis generous and equitable l as the resources of the Stale will allow.