CIVIL LIFE AGAIN

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25286, 21 August 1945, Page 4

CIVIL LIFE AGAIN

REHABILITATION TASK PLANS TO MEET PROBLEMS (S.R.) WELLINGTON, Monday "We are more than ready to welcome back all our men and women from overseas and help them back into civilian life," said the Minister of Rehabilitation, Mr Skinner, today, in commenting on rehabilitation plans, particularly to meet the unexpected position which has arisen through the sudden end of the war. The Minister added that the main problem to date had been lack of manpower, but from now on the supply could be expected to begin catching up on the demand. Rehabilitation would thus be accomplished in the most natural manner, to the benefit of the whole community. Efficient Organisation "Thanks to New Zealand having started its rehabilitation scheme nearly four years ago, and thanks to the successful policy of decentralisation, we have an experienced team of both departmental and voluntary workers I anxious to grapple with the task before use," said Mr Skinner. "I want to I assure the men and women still overseas, wherever they may be, that rehabilitation has become an efficiently working part of our national life and that most of their problems have been anticipated and provided for as far as wartime shortages will permit." The Minister continued that it should not be expected that the advent of peace meant more men coming home within the next few months than would have been brought back in any case. The Government was doing its utmost to arrange for whatever shipping could be made available, but shipping was going to be an even greater problem in the immediate future through the sudden collapse of Japan. Labour and Housing In the meantime, as had been announced by the Prime Minister, all men at present in New Zealand on indefinite leave without pay, and also the members of the first furlough draft who had had their dismissal cancelled, would now be eligible for consideration for all forms of rehabilitation assistance, so that the work of the Rehabilitation Department probably would be increased in the immediate future. "We quite realise that general demobilisation will increase our problems, but it will also in the end provide the solution to the basic problem of manpower shortages," said the Minister. "Most of our headaches so far have been due to labour shortages, which have in turn caused many material shortages. Housing, for instance, has been the biggest problem of all, but with the return to civil life of thousands of fit men we hope to have not only more skilled building tradesmen, but also more men for work in the bush and the mills, in the coal mines and on the essential hydro-electric schemes. Timber Workers Needed "In effect, although we will need many more houses, we will also be able to build many more. Timber will always be our chief building material and we have plenty of it standing in our forests, but we need the men to bring it out and mill it, I recognise, of course, that many men who previously worked in the bush and in the mines may not wish to return to such work, but we will do our utmost to attract all necessary labour there. Even 12 months' work producing timber and coal by those fit and suited for the job would be very welcome, and we will guarantee any ex-servicemen full protection of his rehabilitation benefits and privileges after any such period of essential work." * Decentralisation had brought about great improvements in efficiency and speed of decision, and it was hoped to be able to decentralise administration even further in the near future, Mr Skinner stated. The process had been provided for when the rehabilitation organisation had been first set up and depended only on the experience of those concerned and the Consequent uniformity of policy. The Servicemen s Employment Division of the National Service Department- was rendering valuable assistance in placing men in suitable employment if they desired such help, and many ex-servicemen already had availed themselves of its services. Moreover, a national survey of industrial needs was being taken with a view' to assisting ex-servicemen into jobs with a future.

COUNT CIANO DIARY OF THE WAR PUBLICATION IN HERALD The Herald will begin serial publication tomorrow of the dairy of Count Galeazzo Ciano. Mussolini's son-in-law and Italian Foreign Minister from 1936 to 1943. The diary begins on January 1, 1939, and continues until shortly before Ciano was executed in January, 1944, by Mussolini's order on a charge of treason. It is a candid revelation of the chicanery that accompanied the formation of the Axis, brought Italy into the war and worked her inevitable downfall. Mussolini is not spared, and appears throughout as the sawdust Caesar of a cardboard empire. Hitler, Ribbentrop and other Nazis figure in the story, which conveys very well the atmosphere of mutual suspicion, deceit and opportunism in which the two dictators carried on their struggle for world domination.

MUNITIONS FACTORY REDUCED PRODUCTION FUTURE OF THE WORKS (0.C.) HAMILTON, Monday No definite statement can at present be made as to the future of the Colonial Ammunition Company's factory at Hillcrest, Hamilton, except that it is to continue production on a very reduced basis. It is understood that the buildings will be required for the manufacture of small arms ammunition. Reductions in staff have been made as fhe war conditions improved. At its peak, the company was employing a staff of over 1000 and special hostels had to be built to accommodate the workers. In addition to the staff, about 70 army personnel were posted there, either as guards or as testers of ammunition, but except for proof officers, there have been no soldiers at the works now for almost a year. Suggestions have been made that the factory could assist in rehabilitation, either as a trade training centre or a transit camp. Already, one of the buildings has been taken over as a laboratory for the Rtinkura Animal Research Station. It is understood that a Ministerial statement about the future of the works will be made shortly. PATRIOTIC HOT After providing many thousands of beds and meals during the last three years, the Hamilton patriotic hut will change hands next week. The present management and voluntary .staff will transfer control to the Combined Services Association. Volunteers have been invited to take the places of those relinquishing duty. INTEREST IN FOOTBALL The interest being taken in the Rugby football match between the North Island and the South Tslatid, which will be played at Eden Park on Saturday, was shown yesterday morning bv the size of the queue of people wishing to book seats. Booking began at 8.35 a.m. and some people had waited from 11 o'clock the previous night. About 300 seats were available for booking and they were .sold within 25 minutes. When the last was sold over 100 people were still in the queue.