R.S.A. CONFERENCE

Grey River Argus, 3 July 1944, Page 2

R.S.A. CONFERENCE

Hon. Major Skinner’s

Address

PA WELLINGTON, June 30. ‘Speaking at the Dominion confer- ; ence of the Returned Services’ Association to-day, Major C. F. Skinner • defended his holding of the portfolios . of Lands and Slate Forests, in addition to Rehabilitation. Major Skinner attended the conference to receive a deputation from the delegates. He said he did no work in connection with the other departments that did not have a definite bearing on rehabilitation. He also answered several other Questions put to him. Mr. T. G. Taylor presented the conference’s views on the organisation of | the Rehabilitation Department, which had been previouslv covered by the president (Mr. B. J. Jacobs), and the chairman of the committee on rehabilitation. , , 'Next. Mr. J. H. Hessell referred particularly to housing, and suggested the use a° t.emnorar v accommodation of vacated camps. They would be better than much of the accommodation at present in use, he added, and, being under Government control, they would actually stop, and not create, a perpetuation of slum conditions. Mr Hessell advocated the reduction of the interest rate for servicemen to 3 per cent, to bring it into line with a similar reduction made during the last The third point was the release, after a certain period, of the young men who b-ffi the s 7?” p “ s , nt the age of 18, and who would be ter->-!h]y hnnd’ca’'n°d through, into the services directly- from school and universities. These men, he said, hau no particular occupation to which to return. , . ~ Mr. B. Malone presented the request of the association to afford, returned men settled on farms the right to acquire the freehold after a five years’ lease, if thev so desired, but with no right of sale until ten years had elapsed. „ , . . The president assured the Mimstei that they would' co-operate loyally with him in the task of rehabilitation The Minister said that the points raised had been discussed previously with the national executive, which had been given Ihe reasons for every step' taken in the administration ot rehabilitation work. He. realised there was nothing of a political nature behind the criticisms of the R.S.A. and generally! speaking they had all been of a constructive nature. . About his work, in connection with the Lands Department, the Minister sMcI it was absurd to say the Rehabilitation Department should have . a lands department of its own, and include branches of other departments which were tied up' with rehabilitation. It would take ten years to organise properlv. because they did not have men trained in the work. The findings of the Rehabilitation Board were final. Major Skinner continued. and' the State Advances Cornoration or any other deoartment was hound to nut into operation any decision of the board. Every member of the hoard was a returned soldier, and if the heads ot departments who were members were renlaced in a reconstitution, they would still have to attend the sessions in order to carrv ent the board s decisio’w in +hp mirit +hev were intended. The Minister said <hat decentralisa--lion would ho carried out just as soon "s it could ho organised. Auckland would be the start. The Government’s policv on housing would be to use existing temporary accommodation, and not to build it. because ’t took verv little longer in erect a State house than a reasonable femoorarv one. said Major Skinnnv. other' stons to relieve housing difficulties would be'a more rigid enTorcorncnt of the rpgulntions controlling non-essential building. In this, ' tho ? association could co-operate. ! Because the Air Force was now nrobably New Zealand’s best means of defence, he doubted the nossibilitvi of the Government being able to release the vounver men at the present time, or to reduce the training programme.