DISABLED SERVICEMEN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25563, 16 June 1944, Page 2

DISABLED SERVICEMEN

REHABILITATION CONFERENCE (P.A.) WELLINGTON. June 15. A motion from the Christchurch branch urging that the horticultural training scheme for disabled servicemen be resubmitted to the Rehabilitation Board for favourable consideration was carried at the annual conference of the Disabled Servicemen’s Re-estab-lishment League, which ended in Wellington to-day.. The scheme incorporates neurasthenic cases as well as disabled men, and seeks a Government subsidv. It was expected that up to 40 men could be trained in the first year and an increasing number in subsequent years. It was stated that Christchurch offered the best conditions, and that the curator of the public gardens, Mr J. A. McPherson, was an expert whose advice would be invaluable. After a long discussion on the general training of disabled men in the league's centres, the periods of training, and the subsidies payable, Mr S. Gasper. chairman of the Trade Training Committee of the Rehabilitation Board, answered a number of questions. He said he was of the opinion that no hard-and-fast rules should be laid down in connection with training, specially for disabled men, but that each case should be dealt with entirely on its merits and the degree of disability ' given sympathetic consideration. Advice was received from the Minister of Rehabilitation, Mr C. F. Skinner, that he hoped to have the negotiations for the Auckland training centre completed within the next few days.