REHABILITATION AID

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 72, Issue 6239, 7 June 1946, Page 5

REHABILITATION AID

R.S.A. CONFERENCE REMITS “ABSOLUTE PREFERENCE” Strong approval by the rehabilitation sub-committee for a Temuka remit, asking that decentralisation of the State Advances Corporation and the Rehabilitation Department be accorded urgency, was supported by the N.Z. R.S.A. conference. The remit sought autonomy for a greater number of district offices. It was pointed out that at present all business in Canterbury, both financial and otherwise, had to be finalised through the Christchurch offices, with attendant long delays. A remit from Auckland and Dunedin was amended by the sub-committee (and approved by the conference) to read, “That the maximum furniture loan be increased to £230 free of interest and to be repaid at the present rate per week for £100.” It was reaffirmed that all interestbearing rehabilitation loans should be at 3 per cent per annum. To avoid difficulties which arise particularly in country centres, Waimate submitted the following remit: “That in all cases where suitable training is available locally from qualified tradesmen, all returned servicemen be given the opportunity of training locally instead of being required to attend a training school centre, provided that such trainees be under the supervision of officers of the department concerned.” The remit was approved. After a brief explanation of the anomalies that arose under the existing arrangement, the conference decided that in B trade training schemes arrangements should be made to grant a subsidy for all hours worked instead of a limit of 40 hours. Extended discussion resulted in a Dunedin remit being approved in the final form: “That the Dominion executive committee uses its best endeavours to secure amendments to the Transport Act to ensure that when additional vehicle authorities are warranted or where a change of ownership of an existing license is taking place, licenses shall be made available, compulsorily, to qualified ex-servicemen, where ex-servicemen are desiring to set up in the transport business, whether in competition with the Minister of Railways or not.” Where applications are made for increased import licenses it is asked that preference should be given to firms employing the greatest production of ex-servicemen or women.

“W’hat we aim at is that, where there is a queue for a job, the returned serviceman should be at the head of the queue, not at the tail end,” said Mr T. G. Taylor, supporting an Auckland remit asking for “absolute preference” for ex-service personnel when public or private appointments were being made.

Those too young or physically unfit, though willing for service overseas, would be unjustly penalised if absolute preference were imposed, said another delegate. Mr W. E. Leadley moved an amendment that the matter be held over for consideration of the Dominion executive after the return of the New Zealand delegation to Australia next month, when the delegation could report on the application of the Commonwealth’s legislation for ex-service “absolute preference.” Mr Leadley’s amendment was carried.