STATE HOUSES AND LOANS

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 April 1945, Page 3

STATE HOUSES AND LOANS

SERVICEMEN PRIORITY WELLINGTON, April 26. The system of preferential allocation of State rental houses for former servicemen and of financial'assistance for homes, . farms, and businesses was outlined to-night by the Minister of Rehabilitation (Mr Skinner). He explained that the policy ot the Government op its intention to rehabilitate all servicemen was unchanged. What, however, had become increasingly apparent was that in view of present shortages of labour, and material, and of the manpower position generally; it was. necessaryin the interests of thousands of. men who, had still to return, from operational zones, to make certain priorities. . ~r Dealing with Army personnel, Mr Skinner said that those eligible to 1 ’ immediate assistance \yerp- first, an men who had actually seen.front Ime service or who had served outside New Zealand for six months qr more in any of the following areas.: -the European zone, the Middle East, East Asia, or Pacific areas forward ot put excluding Fiji and New Caledonia: second, all men who had served 12 months or more in the Pacific, apart from the forward area, that was, including Fiji and New Caledonia, or in Canada, America, or other noncombatant areas. Until the , above classes were disposed , ol or vvere satisfactorily catered for, ail other servicemen who had served outside New Zealand for shorter periods than those so far mentioned for the relevant zones would be classified as eligible, but in their cases' financial assistance for homes,, farms, and businesses, and for preferential allocation of State houses would only, bcconsidered when those who hau served outside the Dominion m any of the services had been substantially disposed of, except where it was advisable to make good immediately any loss directly attributable to war service. NAVY AND AIR FORCE Regarding naval servicemen, the Minister said that all sea-going personnel who had served outside New Zealand territorial waters lor six months or more, and had >t been discharged or who had returned lor service in New Zealand or New Zealand waters, would be eligible , for immediate assistance. Also eligible immediately would be those who had not served outside of territorial waters but who had nevertheless been encaged in certain hazardous duties, such as mine-laying. Shore personnel would be treated on the same basis as the army, priority being given as to the operational zone and time spent there. . In the case of Air Force personnel, eligibility for immediate assistance applied to all members of the an crews who had been engaged on operational or test flying either in New Zealand or elsewhere, and to pilots engaged as instructors. fl he immediate eligibility of ground personnel would be determined in tne same manner as army personnel, except in the case of men who had been engaged in actual flying in the course of their duties. These latter cases would be considered individally, a>, would those of all applicants who had been discharged before then training was completed, and who had, as a result, not taken part m operational, test, or instructional. flymg. Men of the mercantile marine wno would be considered eligible for immediate assistance would be: BiysL those who had served for six months or more aboard any British ship which was not a home trade ship and who had been discharged iron, the mercantile marine as a result oi. injury sustained, age, or on medical o'rounds: second, all men who had served in the mercantile marine roe three years, including six months oi. more aboard a ship on other .than home trade service, and who haa ieii the sea as a result; *and fourth, all men who had served in the mercantile marine and were repatriatea prisoners of war. Men who had left the sea during the war of their own volition and accepted employment ashore would have their cases deferred.