HELP FOR HERITAGE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26471, 27 May 1947, Page 4

HELP FOR HERITAGE

CO-OPERATION OF OTHER BODIES ADDRESSES TO MEMBERS

“The basic principle of rehabilitation is to give to ex-servicemen • the chance to return to civilian life on terms at least equal to those which would, have prevailed had they not served in the forces. As this applies to ex-servicemen, so it does with the dependents of deceased or permanently disabled servicemen,” said Mr F. C. Hay of the Rehabilitation Department, addressing a meeting of members and sponsors of Heritage (Otago) Inc., last evening. Mr Hay outlined the work which the department was doing in the interests of these dependents, and stated that every assistance possible would be given to Heritage sponsors in their voluntary task of caring f<?r servicemen’s dependents who were in need of help. ... _ The work of the Rehabilitation Department, he said, centred round education, career and trade training. The object was to see that the children of servicemen had facilities to develop according to their aptitudes and special abilities.. Bursaries were available for full-time study, the sums ranging from £1 12s 6d for those under 18 years of age to £3 3s on reaching the age of 21. In addition boarding allowances of £1 a week were available to minors. Trade training was given along lines suited to the individual and, where necessary, subsidies were paid. The work was not confined to helping children, but widows were also assisted in the matter of obtaining homes, education and trade training. Mr D. L. Wood detailed to those present the other sources from which help was available to dependents. The Dunedin Returned Services’ Association had 11,000 members, and was often able to place dependents in employment through its own members, he said. In addition it had allocated between £6OOO and £7OOO to necessitous cases in the last year. Among the other services available Were education bursaries of from £ls to £25 per annum and a cash purchase society in which firms offered a discount to former servicemen and their dependents. A number of other organisations were mentioned by Mr Wood, who suggested that centralisation of the resources would save considerable hardship in cases where people were referred from one organisation to another. ... “It is an outstanding disgrace that we should say to any applicant, ’Go to so-and-so for help.’ We, as sponsors, should go ourselves,” said Mr C. Lucas. He suggested that the main relief organisations should form some sort of liaison committee to save delays. The acting-chairman, Mr W. Forrester, said that there were a number of men on the executives of several of the bodies providing relief and that a certain amount of correlation was achieved by that fact. No action was taken in the matter.