MEN BACK FROM WAR

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 207, 2 September 1943, Page 4

MEN BACK FROM WAR

REHABILITATION SCHEMES TASKS FOR NATIONAL EFIOKT “The task of rehabilitation does not rest with the R.S.A. executive. It is the individual problem of every member of the association, just as it is the individual responsibility of every association in New Zealand,” declared Mr. H. B. Burdekin (Levin), a member of the Dominion executive of the Returned Services’ Association, speaking- at a meeting of the Wanganui R.S.A. last night. He added that it was the duty of every member of the R.S.A. to keep in touch with the public and see that rehabilitation became a national issue.

Mr. Burdekin outlined various phases of rehabilitation work now being carried out in New Zealand and said that more than 100 men from the present war had already been settled on their own farms a. ter receiving financial assistance. In such cases the returned man entered into negotiations with the vendor of the farm property, after which the State Advance’s Corporation was approached, as agent for the Rehabilitation Board, for financial assistance. The maximum amount advanced on loan lor a dairy farm was £5OOO, of which £3500 was for the purchase of the land and the balance for stock. In cases where the purchaser and vendor could not agree, local R.S.A. officers assisted with negotiations.

“The other side of land settlement is that of leasehold farms, but at the moment this is fraught with difficulty because conditions are not as clear as we would like them to be,” Mr. Burdekin said. In 1940 the R.S.A. declared that it did not want the question of soldier settlement mixed up with other legislation. The association asked for a separate Bill and the machinery to be put into operation, but since 1940 nothing had been done. The Small Farms Bill had never been {put into operation. The R.S.A. was still pressing for the Bill it wanted, and even the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser, admitted recently that the association was not satisfied. The R.S.A. said very definitely, and the Government agreed, that mistakes made after the last war should not be repeated. Mr. Burdekin commented that only one clause in the Servicemen’s Settlement and Land Sales Bill referred

to soldier settlement, and even that had its limitations. This clause gave the Government power to purchase land for soldiers and the owner of the property had the right to retain his homestead and an area sufficient for economic farming. A Voice: A very fair clause. The question of houses for these larms being taken over by soldiers was also causing a problem, due to carpenters being diverted to more urgent war work, but the Prime Minister had given an assurance that the dwellings would be erected as soon as possible. The farms in question were all of the single unit type which could carry up to 40 cows, and be worked by one man. However, there was no Act or Bill to determine how the leases were to be taken up, and it was necessary to fall back on the Rehabilitation Board. When rentals were fixed, however, there was no relation between the price paid for the iand and the rental values. The rentals were so fixed that the returned man could earn at least £5 a week clear for living expenses. Mr. Burdekin explained the provisions made for placing men wishing to take up farms into three categories —those fully experienced, those who had worked on farms but had insufficient experience to take up farming immediately, and the mon with no experience. Facilities were provided for training men till they qualified, and in the case, of sheep farms £6250 was the limit which would be advanced by way of Joan. Referring to the housing of returned soldiers in towns and cities, Mr. Burdekin said more than 300 homes had been bought for ex-servicemen, who had taken up the freehold and were rgaduallv making the dwellings their own. The speaker also dealt }»ith schemes for rehabilitating men in professions and business, and for enabling young men whose studies had been interrupted t.o resume on their return to civilian life.