WILL COST A LOT

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 51, Issue 3137, 29 June 1942, Page 5

WILL COST A LOT

WORK OF REHABILITATION building a new order INTERVIEW WITH MR MOOHAN “Rehabilitating members of the forces substantially means rehabiliting the whole population of New Zealand,” declared Mr Michael Moohan, chairman of the Rehabilitation Board, in the course of an interview with the Te Aroha ■“News” during his visit to Te Aroha on Monday. “You cannot rehabilitate a soldier, sailor or airman without also rehabilitating his dependants, and when you begin to consider wives, families and dependent parents, practically every family in New Zealand has to be taken into consideration, for this war touches nearly all

of us.” “There is one thing quite clear to me,” said Mr Moohan, quickly sketching what might he termed the human background to the problem involved, “and that is that we have some ideas of what these numbers mean. Probably before the war is over nearly half the male adult population of the 'Dominion will be in the Armed Forces. In addition to that there are some thousands of people working' on munitions ■and military equipment. When the war is over their livelihood ceases just as much as a soldier’s. Human Background Wanted “Some of - these, probably several thousands, will want to go on the land,” Mi' Moohan said. “Others will want to go into businesses and others still, will want to enter the professions. 'But when these men have been subtracted from the total number there will still be many thousands- left, and it is amongst these that special problems a rise. “There will be the young men whose apprenticeship contracts were broken off when they went into the forces, the students who interrupted their training for professions, the men who followed* trades ''Which have been disrupted by the war, and finally those who feel that they want to make a start at something new altogether. “While we might say that the great majority will go back to their ordinary trades to produce the goods and services compatible with an era of peace, something more than that is needed for them. Something must be done to give them comfortable homes and an income for 52 weks in the year. When men have risked their lives and probably undermined their health in the service of their country you don’t want them to have to take their place in a trade where their income ceases because it’s a wet day.” The establishment of training schools was envisaged for those wishing to enter the trades and professions. Those interested, would foe encouraged because the more people knew about the use of tools, the better they would foe as citizens and producers of wealth. In regard to the professions it was the policy of the board to open these avenues so that, as far as humanly possible, all who had the adaptability and qualifications would have their opportunity. “Homes Fit for Human Beings” Making a flying reference to a catch-cry during the last world war, Mr Moohan said that one of the first needs of the - new order was houses for people to live in, and. the board intended to see that homes and furniture were provided as soon as possible. Environment was a great thing and it was essential that people should *be able to live and bring up their children in decent surroundings. The First Steps It had to be remembered, said Mr Moohan, that several thousand, men had already returned from service , and he described some of the methods used by the board to ensure that these men were adequately looked after. Part of the procedure was the meeting of boats by officers of the National Service Department who obtained all particulars of the men returning in order to be able to help them later. It was understood that interestfree loans of a substantial amount were readily available to those who wished to set up house and that, as time went on, facilities of this sort would be increased. Giving a brief description of the machinery for inauguration, Mr Moohan said that local committees

were ■being’ set up in each area. ' These would consist or representa-

tives of local bodies, Returned Services Associations, organised labour, Women’s, War 'Service Auxiliary, and the member of Parliament for the district. A member of the Rehabilitation Council would be chairman of the committee and an officer from a Government department dealing with rehabilitation would be secretary.

“Most of us on the board were at the last war and know and appreciate the mental outlook of the men who come back and one of the reasons for the board is that they have to be spoken to and interviewed as human beings, and not just somebody to be got rid of as quickly as possible. The board has very wide powers and in the exercising of these is entitled by law to make use of departments of State, local bodies, local committees, private firms and individuals. “We do’ not propose to give up this job to any department of State for we have been set up to see that rehabilitation is a success and we are going to do the job. “Rehabilitation of the people of this country is going to cost a lot of money but if we can spend £133,-•O-OOj'OOO on war we can spend it on reconstruction,” Mr Moohan concluded.