LAND AND HOMES

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVII, Issue 23111, 27 January 1945, Page 4

LAND AND HOMES

£5,189,406 Advanced To Ex-Servicemen Details Released By Minister

(N.Z.P.A.) WELLINGTON, Jan. 26. The amount lent to ex-service-men and eligible dependants by the Rehabilitation Board for farms, homes, businesses, furniture, tools of trade and other approved purposes to the end of 1944 was £5,189.496, said the Hon. C. F. Skinner to-day. The number of applicants involved was 8982. In December alone £326,677 was advancto 589 applicants for all purposes. Last month 22 returned men and one homeserviceman were settled on their own farms at a cost of £79,050. The accumulated total at the end of the year was 621 placed on the land, loans amounting to £2.989.607. Of the accumulated total 597 were returned men, 21 homeservicemen, two merchant seamen and one dependant of a deceased serviceman. Loans to buy and build homes during December amounted to £183,200 advanced to 160 exservicemen and dependants. 96 buying existing dwellings and 64 choosing to build their own. Interest free supplementary loans involved for the purpose of meeting wartime increases amounted to £21,765 to 116 applicants.

Houses and Furniture To the end of December, 1944, a total of 2158 housing loans had been approved bv the Board, amounting to £2,311,917. Altogether 1598 of these loans had been for purchase and 650 for the erection of homes. During December 79 applicants, including five homeservicemen, were established in small businesses with the aid of loans amounting to £33,504. The accumulated total to the end of the year was 1052, such loans amounting to £439,108. The 1052 applicants comprised 936 returned men, one returned servicewoman, 110 homeservicemen, three merchant seamen, two war widows and dependants of deceased servicemen. Furniture loans had been made to 4737 applicants since the inception of the scheme to the end of last year, the figure involved being £430.423. During December £26.476 was advanced to 293 applicants. Tools of trade accounted for 27 loans aggregating £BBl in December, the accumulated total being £10,921 advanced to 371 applicants. Miscellaneous small loans for various purposes were advanced to seven applicants during December, the total amount being £3566. The accumulated total was £7430.

Allowances

From the inception of the scheme on March 1. 1943. to December 2, 1944, a total of £357,911/16/1 had been disbursed in rehabilitation allowances to ex-servicemen awaiting placement in employment or businesses and farms. Applicants are eligible for. such assistance during the first 12 months after their discharge. Single men are paid £3 10 - a week and married men with children up to £6 a week for a total period of 13 weeks. Special grants approved by the board and by district rehabilitation committees amounted to £8447 by the end of 1944. of which £597 was disbursed in December.