REHABILITATION

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVI, Issue 22992, 8 September 1944, Page 4

REHABILITATION

Views Of Homeservicemen (N.Z.P.A.) WELLINGTON, Sept. 7. Addressing the Wellington Branch of the New Zealand Homeservicemen’s Association last evening, Mr R. Levien (Dominion president) said that the whole policy of rehabilitation must be changed. The administration must be improved out of sight. There was every respect for the Public Service but the training of members was not along the lines of rehabilitation. Most of it was handled, where money was concerned, by the State Advances Corporation, that was the Government lending department and full security was demanded in all its transactions. In rehabilitation a 50-50 chance of setting the money back should be considered good, and a chance must be taken on a 20-80 basis. It could not be done with Government departments straining to safeguard public money. “We have undertaken a duty and accepted a responsibility which we cannot lay down,” said Mr Levien. “We have a duty to those with us now. but there is a bigger duty to those yet to come out of the Services. They have had longex- service and greater disruption of their lives, and we have an enormous duty to them. We have done what service was required of us. We were unfortunately not taken overseas, but we must provide a friendly country for those men who went overseas. We must help the quick rehabilitation of overseas men with our own men.”

The president spoke of the need foxcomplete organisation of the Association. pointing out that there was a potential' membership of about 60,000. There was particular need to have an organisation ready for those men and women yet to be discharged. He urged the necessity for keeping the organisation elastic, that it might grow quickly. “We must go ahead and we must move quickly.” said Mr Levien.