MEN DISILLUSIONED

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25211, 25 May 1945, Page 8

MEN DISILLUSIONED

REHABILITATION DELAIYS NATIONAL MEMBER'S VIEWS (0.c.) HAMILTON, Thursday "Rehabilitation is a [iroblem that will- have to be tackled with the same seriousness as vre have tackled the war," said Mr G. F. Sim, M.P. for Rotorua, when speaking in support of Mrs Hilda Ross, National candidate in the Hamilton by-election. "Unfortunately we find that the Government now wishes to use rehabilitation as a means of furthering and expediting its socialistic policy." Mr Sim spoke of the delays experienced bv soldiers under rehabilitation, and said the men were thoroughly disillusioned. The men and women returning from the war had not the confidence they should have. How could they when they were barred from setting up in business on their return? They resented having to go to Ministers cap in hand to beg for licences, especially from those who did not understand the problem. It was wrong in spirit and wrong in principle. "It should be recognied that private enterprise must be responsible for the absorption of many of our returned servicemen into civilian life," said Mr Sim, "but when we of the Opposition suggest anything along these lines Government members invariably criticise us and say that the private employers wish to employ them to make a profit out of their services. Let me remind them that generally private employers pay hotter wages than Government departments do. Furthermore, a_ big majority of our employers are either returned men from the last war or they have sons find daughters in the services this time. In the successful rehabilitation of our men we must always remember that our womenfolk are going to play a very important part. It is possible that men do not realise the hardships that fall to their lot. As the laws also affect women's interests, we would welcome Mrs Ross' help in interpreting the women's point of view and so helping in the rehabilitation of our servicemen and women."

HAZARDOUS TASK MINING CHINA COAST AUSTRALIAN CATALINAS MELBOURNE. May 21 Royal Australian Air Force Cntalinas have been mining the China coast, paralysing .Japanese shipping and forcing enemy vessels into deep water to be destroyed by submarines and longrange bombers from the Philippines. The Minister for Air, Mr A. S. Drakeford, stated that the Catalinas, exploiting their long range, were carrying on where American mine-laying SuperFortresses left off. R.A.A.F. Catalinas have been directly responsible for sinking several thousand "tons of merchant and naval shipping. Many China coast ports have ceased to be ot any real value to the Japanese. The job, however, is probably the most hazardous and exacting ever undertaken by the Catalinas. • -They operate at night, and have to find targets in mist, fog. and low cloud'. They lay their mines precisely against a barrage from enemy shore batteries and from shipping. Many crews have narrowly escaped crashing into the fiides of mountains while minelaying In landlocked harbours.