AFTER THE WAR

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25049, 13 November 1944, Page 4

AFTER THE WAR

BEHABILITATION PLANS INTEREST OF AUSTRALIA For the purpose of studying New Zealand's rehabilitation schemes for exservicemen, Mr K. McLeod Bolton, chairman of the Rehabilitation Committee of the New South Wales Returned Soldiers' League, arrived at Auckland by flying-boat from Sydney on Saturday. He will spend over a fortnight in the Dominion and will then return to present a report to a conference of all interested bodies in New South Wales, at which industrial and agricultural employers and workers organisations will be represented, lhe policy decided at the conference will then be presented to the Common- ( wealth Government. "We maintain that there should bo proper rehabilitation schemes in operation now to take charge of the present outflow from the forces and we should not wait until the war is over." said Mr Bolton in an' interview. Financial Aid A special committee of the New South Wales council of the league had prepared a detailed report on rehabilitation. This report recommended that the Government should advance up to £ooo to enable the discharged person or the widow of a deceased serviceman to become established in a business, that a £4O clothing allowance should be given servicemen and service women on discharge, and that there should be a war gratuity free of income tax and based on length of service overseas. It also recommended a weekly living allowance for discharged personnel while awaiting training, undergoing training or during temporary periods of involuntary unemployment, up to a total period not I exceeding 12 months, until permanent emplovment was secured. The" report, said Mr Bolton, would be considered at the forthcoming conference in conjunction with his report on the New Zealand schemes. There was strong criticism in the report of the Commonwealth reconstruction training scheme, which was considered too narrowly and rigidly conceived. The requirements of the "planner" were put first and the desires of the discharged man insufficiently considered. Action Now Urged The league wanted action, especially now, said Mr Bolton. Many men and women were leaving the services daily and so far there was no rehabilitation scheme whatsoever, except the reconstruction scheme, which was purely for vocational training. Only a small percentage of discharged personnel in New South Wales had taken advantage of the scheme.

Mr Bolton left for Wellington last night to consult the Minister of Rehabilitation, Mr Skinner, members of the Returned Services Association and others interested in rehabilitation.