FOR EX-SERVICEMEN

Grey River Argus, 18 September 1945, Page 5

FOR EX-SERVICEMEN

DECENTRALISED FACILITIES "Although most' ex-servicemen seeking rehabilitation assistance or advice take advantage of the department’s decentralised set-up’ and go with their problems to their local rehabilitation . office, (there are numbers who do not,” savs the Rehabilitation Department in a statement just issued. “These latter address their applications direct to the department’s ofiice and by so doing often cause delay in having their cases finalised, since they are generally referred back to the local offices to be dealt with there. The reason for this is that not only are more complete personal files held by the district offices, but the very nature of the decentralised machinery provided makes for a more efficient and expeditious handling of the case.” Throughout New Zealand there are nine rehabilitation district executive committees with power to authorise rehabilitation loans, continues the statement. There are besides 112 local rehabilitation committees, situated m practically every town of any size in the Dominion, as well as sub-com-mittees on farming, trade training and education. A knowledge of local conditions makes the work, of these committees invaluable and it is to a serviceman’s advantage to use the facilities they offer. “A serviceman seeking financial assistance should first see his rehabilitation officer. His application .is forwarded to the district . executive • and if it is turned down it is then referred to Wellington automatically for further consideration The serviceman is thus safeguarded all tne wav and can be sure that he is going to get fair treatment. Similarly with farming and trade training applicants, should a serviceman want such assistance his application will be considered by the sub-committees set up specifically for that purpose. Shou d he for instance, disagree with tne grading given him by a farming subcommittee ho is best advised to appeal through his district office rather than direct to head office. By doing so he should get much more prompt reconsideration, since the district office is able to forward to head office the full facts of the case.