FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 13 June 1942, Page 5

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

SOLDIERS NOT DISCHARGED FROM FORCES ; POSITION CLARIFIED Wellington, This Day ' j Financial assistance may now be [ i granted to returned servicemen even ; j though they may not have a final discharge from the Armed Forces. The position was made clear yesterday by the chairman of the Rehabilitation ’ Board, Mr Moohan, in reply to state- ■ j ments made at an executive meeting of the R.S.A. in Dunedin, alleging in- ; 1 justice to returned members of the 2nd ’ N.Z.E.F. and retardation of their rehabilitation. It was stated at the meet- ' ing that no returned serviceman was entitled to assistance in the form of a - housing loan unless he had a full discharge from the Army. The position, a member asserted, was an impossible one. and it appeared that someone was dodging the matter of discharge for the men. thereby retarding their rehabilitation. This is the actual position." Mr Moohan said. "It is correct that section 2 of the Rehabilitation Act, 1941, limits the granting of financial assistance to discharged servicemen or servicemen’* widows, and a discharged serviceman' is defined in the Act as being a sev- . viceman who has received his dis- , charge from any of His Majesty’s . Forces. When the Act was being framed it was not that (he . war would reach the shores of New Zealand and render necessary any departure from the established Ar r y practice of discharging a man once h# was graded as unfit for active service. GRADE 3 MEN RETAINED “Recently the Army authorities adopt* ed the procedure of retaining on the i strength of the Armed Forces all men who returned to New Zealand and were classified as grade 3 or better, and also all men who were discharged from ■ camp in New Zealand with a similar grading. Discharged lrom "camp' does not mean discharged from the Forces, because unless a man is classified as grade 4 he would not be discharged, but would be placed on leave without pay, and might be called up for service in some clerical capacity should the need arise. The same remarks apply to men returned from overseas and classified as grade 3 or better. "When the Rehabilitation Board became awar<» of the position the matter was submitted to Cabinet, and authority has now been given to the State Advances Corporation to make such loans to servicemen, notwithstanding that they may not have a final discharge from His Majesty’s Forces." P.A