N.Z. REHABILITATION

Grey River Argus, 3 May 1944, Page 4

N.Z. REHABILITATION

LATEST FIGURES 42,656 Demobilised PA WELLINGTON', May 2. 'Returns showing the extent of rehabilitation assistance given the end of March to demobilized se vicemen and service women oftins war were made available to nig; by the Minister, Hon. Major SKmne . Tney show that the men and demobilized from the armed , at March 31 totalled 42,b5b, of 22,535 had returned trom ° ve^ sea ’ T'he remaining 20,121 been d mobilized from home defence forces. The members of forces to re: from overseas during March totallea 1800 and the demooilizations uoin home service for that month n bered 906 ... t The figures show that eight to tally blinded and eleven partially blinded men have returned from tins war, while another three home service men are partially blinded. Its stated that inquiries instituted in regard to the provision of an adequate and comfortable home where blindea and partially-blinded men could receive training are still proceeding. Amputees to return from this war total 235. . ~ . Referring to trade training, it/ .is stated that arrangements are in hand for the establishment of an additional carpentry training centre in Auckland, and for the provision of similar centres in Invercargill, Timaru, Gisborne and Kaikone. Provision has been made for married ex-servicemen living in districts where there is no carpentry training centre to be trained with private employers on a subsidy basis. Similarly, arrangements have been made with the New Zealand Railways to use their workshops lor the training of eligible railway ex-ser-vicemen on a subsidy basis. Where the ex-servicemen of 21 years and over resume their apprenticeship, their wage may be subsidised to give them a return equal to a journeyman's wage, calculated on the basis of the ordinary working week. Educational facilities have been provided for 397. Subsistence allowances up to £3 3s weekly in the case of single men, and £5 bs weekly for married men have been approved in these cases where fulltime studies are necessary. The number of State rental houses or fiats allocated to returned servicemen, widows of deceased servicemen, and wives of prisoners of war servicemen up to March 31 totalled 1429, and for the quarter ended on that date the number was 222. Applications lodged by returned exservicemen for these houses or flats total 1905, and the number lodged by home servicemen and civilians total 27,892. The State houses now under construction throughout the Dominion total 2082, ana the units advertised for which contracts have not yet been let number 176. The amount disbursed in way of rehabilitation allowances since the inception of the scheme on March 1, 1943, to March 25, 1944 was £249, 50y 14s lid. Special grants authorised by the Rehabilitation Board total £1239 10s 4d, and the amount so far authorized by Rehabilitation Committees, in varying amounts of under £lO, was £9lB ss. Authorisations up to the end of March of loans, through the State Advances Corporation, acting as agents of the Rehabilitation Board, total £1,972,740. They are .made up as follows:—

Purchase of farms: 255 applications; £761,574. Purchase or erection of houses: 868 applications; £893,935, which includes supplementary loans totalling £4240 made available in 35 cases. Purchase of tools of trade: 151 applications; £4179. Purchase of furniture: 2023 .applications; £181,848. Purchase of businesses: 348 applications; £131,121. Miscellaneous: 2 applications; £B3. Lands acquired by the Crown for settlement of ex-servicemen now total 50,546 acres.