REHABILITATION AND PRODUCTION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25566, 20 June 1944, Page 6

REHABILITATION AND PRODUCTION

Sir,—Recently a young man from the North Island interviewed me with the object of taking up a piggery in Southland. This man has been three years in the armed forces, cne year being spent in the Pacific with the New Zealand Division. He has saved £7OO, and is prepared to put this into his farm and stock. He was highly recommended by the acting superintendent of the National Pig Industry Council, and is one of a family proved to be one of the most successful in pig farming in the North Island. He secured an assured feed supply from cue of our local factories, and then purchased a farm. With the factory supply and crops grown on the farm, he would be in a position to put off 600 fat pigs a year to the value of £3OOO.

After making all necessary arrangements, the soldier had a talk with Mr H. Ritchie, chairman of the Southland Rehabilitation Committee, and Mr W. Denham, M.P., and was assured that he had a gocd case for rehabilitation as a pig farmer. He then made application to the rehabilitation officer for financial assistance. He was informed that his case could not be dealt with in Southland, and that he would have to go back to the North Island. He duly appeared before a North Island board and was classed grade 1 fcr rehabilitation purposes and naturally thought everything was finalised. . Some days later he received word to proceed to Wellington, and was informed there by the rehabilitation officers that his grading was faultless and they recommended him as a farm manager or one suitable for Massey College—not as a student. He was also informed they were sorry that his case would have to be deferred until such time as Middle East men were dealt with. , , , .. Now, Sir, this man’s service was in the Islands. He was called up for service, and had no choice where he was sent to. If there had been a landing on the Islands by the Japanese these men would have had to fight for their lives. There are other soldiers from the South Pacific who have approached me with inquiries for rehabilitation purposes in connection with piggeries. These men have not the qualifications of the above-men-tioned man, so their cases would be practically hopeless. Then there is a man from the Middle East who wishes to take up a piggery and has a farm waiting for him. The factory where his supply will be obtained is prepared to grant him land at the factory to erect his piggery. This man is prepared to find half his own capital. However, he has to have a period of training, after which the farm available for him will probably be sold, and thus the soldier is denied his choice. During last election time members of the Government made a promise that all overseas soldiers would receive rehabilitation. They did not say then that any distinction would be made between soldiers serving on various fronts, nor is there anything in the Rehabilitation Regulations discriminating between overseas soldiers. The people of this country look to the Government to honour its promise. Mr W. Denham, M.P., Government member for Invercargill, has done everything possible in the cases I have mentioned, and it is no fault of his if soldiers do not get a fair deal. Now let us have a look at the other side of the picture. On June 13 the Minister of Agriculture made an appeal for Droduction of more pork, and stated that hundreds of gallons of skim milk go down the drain each year. In Otago and Southland there is probably a greater wastage of whey and skim milk than in other provinces in New Zealand. Pig councils are making an effort to increase production by utilising this wastage. The Minister asks for increased production, yet we find when a soldier whom the Rehabilitation Committee judge as a firstclass pig farmer (and we have very few of them), and who is prepared to take up pig farming, applies for only partial rehabilitation he is turned down on the plea that his case must be deferred until Middle East men are dealt with. In conclusion, may I say every soldier who comes back from overseas is treated on an equal footing by the Returned Services’ Association. If this Is good enough for them it should be good enough for our Government.—l am, etc., Maurice Roderlque. Invercargill, June 18.