LOANS TO SOLDIERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25426, 6 January 1944, Page 2

LOANS TO SOLDIERS

REHABILITATION PURPOSES £1,168,195 TO END OF NOVEMBER (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Jan. 5. An indication of the extent to which the Government is assisting ex-service-men. in re-establishing themselves in civil life is given in a return of the financial assistance granted through the State Advances Corporation which was issued to-day by the Minister of Rehabilitation, Mr C! F. Skinner. During November 11 loans for the purchase of farms we re, made, involving an amount of £31,259. Seventysix advances totalling £77,870 were made for the erection or purchase oi houses. Fourteen loans totalling £3BO were made for the purchase of tools of trade, 170 loans Totalling £16,215 for the purchase of furniture, and £11,052 was advanced to ex-service-men for the purchase of businesses. The total amount advanced during the month to ex-servicemen was £136,812. Since the commencement of the scheme 162 ex-servicemen have been settled on freehold farms, and the sum of £471,629 has been advanced, for this purpose. Applications totalling 525 have been approved for the erection or purchase of dwellings, involving an amount of £527,710. One hundred and five ex-servicemen have been assisted to buy tools of trade to the extent of £2628, and £114,210 has been advanced for the purchase of businesses. The total amount advanced to ex-servicemen up to the end of November was £1,168,195, and the number of ex-servicemen granted assistance was 2234.

It was the Government’s aim, the Minister said, to help in every possible way the ex-servicemen who were eligible for assistance, and this help was only withheld when expert opinion considered that it was not in the best interests of the man himself to take up the business or farm'that he proposed to take up.