REHABILITATION OF THOSE WHO SERVE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 85, Issue 47, 25 February 1941, Page 4

REHABILITATION OF THOSE WHO SERVE

| WORK ALREADY BEGUN PATRIOTIC COMMITTEE ACTIVE ■ Men discharged from the fighting I services are already making calls upon patriotic funds, and, as time goes on, those demands will increase. It was reported to a meeting of the Wanganui City Patriotic Committee yesterday that two applications from Wanganui men discharged from service had been made, one for capital to buy dogs to enable the men to take up shepherding, and the other to buy specially prepared boots to counter fallen arches. Although the committee did not consider that either case was one for it to be responsible for, the two applications prompted the question, what part will patriotic funds have to share in the problem of rehabilitation? Captain H. M. Keesing, M.C.. chairman of the committee, was authorised to make full enquiries in Wellington to ascertain w’hether the committee’s understanding of the position is correct. The committee is of opinion that patriotic funds are to care for men and their dependents pending the acceptance of responsibility by one or other Government department. If a man is entitled to a pension, and, for some reason, has no pension allowed him on discharge, he must live during the period, usually' a fairly long one, he has to press his application. As for setting discharged soldiers up in business, the committee understands that that is the responsibility of the State Advances Corporation, w-hich is able to advance money to discharged servicemen on terms more generous than to average applicants. It was pointed out that until such time as the men returning from this war form an association of their own, the existing Returned Soldiers’ Association will undertake preparation of applications for pensions and loans. Thus close co-operation must be maintained between patriotic bodies and the R.S.A., so that adequate investigation may be made of applications for help, all of w'hich will be judged on their merits. A rehabilitation committee was set up yesterday by the Wanganui Patriotic Committee—Captain Keesing (chairman), Mr. F. H. Bethwaite, Mr. N. R. Bain and Mr. T. S. Russell. It will meet once Captain Keesing has verified the scope of patriotic funds in caring for men who have been discharged from service and have nothing to tide them over the first and difficult period of their return to civilian life.