Urge New Machinery For Rehabilitation

Northern Advocate, 22 May 1944, Page 5

Urge New Machinery For Rehabilitation

(Special) AUCKLAND, This Day. A proposal that an organisation be set np within the Returned Services Association to frame a policy for the rehabilitation of ex-servicemen, was made at a conference of 25 delegates from 12 branches of the association in the Auckland district.

Contending' that il was impossible to achieve rehabilitation with the present machinery, Mr. R. G, Walsh (Pukekohe) said the country would first have to get back to the principle of a fair day's work for a fair day's pay. He condemned high costs, particularly of transport of produce, which prevented expansion of the Dominion’s rural activity, and said there was wonderful country in the hinterland which 4 could not he worked owing to transport costs, which made the cost of production prohibitive.

Country Instead of City Instead of being driven to the city, people should he attracted to the country, and the way to do this was to assure them of a good living. Unless there was also a policy' of expansion of industry and population in (lie Dominion, all attempts to rehabilitate servicemen, would fail.

Mr. Walsh moved that the conference affirm its support of the establishment of an R.S.A. National Council of Rehabilitation and Reconstruction.

Strong criticism of the present machinery for rehabilitation was expressed by the president of the Auckland Association (Mr. A. P. Postlewaite). State Advances Corporation Blamed “The Rehabilitation Act is administered by ten independent Government departments, the main one being the State Advances Corporation,’’ he said. "We arc told that the Rehabilitation Board controls it., but that is only in theory. The body which provides the money has all tin.* power.” Separate Department and Funds

Mr. Postlewaite maintained that thoie would he no progress until the Minister, of Rehabilitation had his own department, with a Parliamentary vote of money to enable it to carry out its functions.

The conference agreed to support the* proposal to establish an R.S.A. organisation to consider and plan for both reconstruction and rehabilitation.

A resolution was also passed that no man or woman be declined the benefits of the Rehabilitation Act, on tin* ground that Pacific personnel returned from overseas should automatically be eligible for rehabilitation.