ERS news-letter

Cue (NZERS), Issue 37, 15 December 1945, Page 15

ERS news-letter

New Premises for Ex-servicemen’s Trade Training Scheme. — The Government has purchased premises at Miramar as a site for the teaching of building trades, under the Rehabilitation Board’s trade training scheme. The new buildings, formerly occupied by the Love Construction Company, are amongst the most recently built in the Dominion, and include a modern joinery plant which will be used by trainees. As has been proposed for some time, a course in joinery will now be commenced, providing for the training of 24 men a year. Plastering, bricklaying, painting, paper-hanging and glazing will also be taught in the new building, and the transfer of trainees from Petone to Miramar has already taken place. For those living away from home accommodation is provided at camp should they wish to use it. Carpentry trainees now at Petone are not affected by this change. Hi * * Limited scope in Bee-keeping Industry.—The bee-keeping industry was recently discussed at a meeting of the Rehabilitation Board, and on the recommendation of the Board’s Farms Advisory Committee, it was resolved that no further totally inexperienced ex-servicemen be accepted for training as apiarists without the approval of the board’s executive committee. Except with the approval of the same committee applications for assistance to become established bee-keepers will now be accepted only from fully experienced

men, and from partially experienced men who were employed in the industry before the war. In the establishment of new holdings the main difficulty, apart from the cost involved, is the lack of satisfactory areas where foodprovision for the bees makes the establishment of apiaries possible. * * * Market Gardeners.— On the recommendation of its Farms Advisory Comittee, the Rehabilitation Board has agreed to confine the settlement of ex-service-men as market gardeners to the purchase of existing economic units which are approved for this purpose by the Department of Agriculture. Exceptions will be made in special circumstances such as proximity to canning factories. No totally inexperienced men will in future be accepted for training in market gardening. These decisions were the result of a conference between representatives of the growers, the Department of Agriculture, the Internal Marketing Division and the Rehabilitation Department, when the training and settlement of ex-servicemen as market gardeners were fully discussed. The general opinion at this conference was that as a result of the end of the war in the Pacific, the export demand for vegetables would slacken rapidly and it would be most unwise to settle men on new land without a thorough survey of the industry.

The Dominion Council of Commercial Gardeners is being asked to co-operate

in having satisfactory units available for sale placed under offer to ex-ser-vicemen.

Surplus War Assets.— Surplus war assets in the form of plant, machinery, vehicles, equipment and general stores are being made available in varying quantities to ex-servicemen and released to aid them in re-establishment in civilian life. This is the result of an arrangement between the War Assets Realisation Board and the Rehabilitation Board. Ex-servicemen have, in the first place, priority right to purchase at upset prices any surplus buildings no longer required by the services. For launches and boats, the Marine Department will make a valuation at which ex-servicemen will have first chance to buy. This will be of great benefit to men needing craft for establishing fishing businesses. Medical and dental equipment, as well as hand tools of trade, can be purchased by ex-servicemen direct from the services provided they have a recommendation from their Rehabilitation committee. It has not been found practicable to make arrangements for ex-servicemen to purchase general stores direct, because neither the War Assets Realisation Department nor the Rehabilitation Department has the facilities to act as a retail shop. Disposal of general stores is therefore by tender or auction in wholesale lots.

Motor vehicles.— Under the arrangement with the War Assets Realisation Board motor vehicles are dealt with as follows:—

Motor trucks: All allocations of trucks are made by the Transport Licensing Authorities and, all things being equal, preference is given to ex-servicemen recommended by the Rehabilitation Department. Returned servicemen purchasers receive a 15 per cent discount off listed prices.

Motor cars: After the minimum requirements of Government Departments are satisfied, all other available army cars are reserved for ex-servicemen, and here again returned men receive a discount of 15 per cent. Priority preferences also include returned doctors and nurses resuming private practice and also ex-servicemen urgently requiring cars for small businesses— including taxi services they were running before their enlistment—and disabled men to whom a car is necessary to enable them to take up employment of a permanent nature. The number of cars now becoming available even for these urgent needs of ex-servicemen is very small for the reason that the services have not many left for disposal. There have only been a few over 30 in the last six months. In view of the general shortage and the long priority waiting list, ex-servicemen are usually advised to buy a car on the open market rather than wait for a suitable army vehicle. Generally speaking, it has been found impossible to release cars to applicants employed by large companies or institutions. The needs of many of these applicants are not overlooked, but it is expected that companies will do whatever is possible to provide transport facilities for their employees, or, where this is not possible, to employ such members of their staff in administrative jobs until the vehicle supply position on the normal market improves.

Motor cycles: These are allocated in accordance with recommendations from the Rehabilitation Department, returned servicemen receiving a discount of 15 per cent.

Plant and Machinery.— ln the disposal of surplus war assets plant and machinery items are dealt with by the Mechanical Plant Advisory Committee in accordance with national priorities, such as Government departments, essential industries of high priority, other essential industries and miscellaneous needs. Within these priorities, where

more than one application is received, and provided the ultimate results to be achieved appear of equal importance, an ex-serviceman applicant would be given preference. A similar arrangement applies to radio equipment and materials; after the requirements of the armed services and Government departments and commercial needs of a highly essential character have been met, priority is given to ex-servicemen who have returned from overseas and who desire to reestablish a radio servicing business which they closed down on entering the armed forces.

When seeking to obtain any of the surplus supplies mentioned it is advisable to consult the nearest Rehabilitation officer. Every endeavour is being made to help ex-servicemen obtain the materials and equipment they need, particularly when it means a substantial contribution towards their speedier rehabilitation.

Fiancees’ Children.— Where a serviceman is engaged to be married and his fiancee has a child, whether from a former marriage, or legally adopted, or otherwise her responsibility, and the State is bearing the cost of the fiancee’s passage to New Zealand under the arrangements announced a year ago, the cost of the child’s passage will also be refunded under the same conditions.

Transit Housing Areas. The project for the use of military camps as housing areas is now well advanced. Personnel of 2 NZEF will hear with a faint reminiscent shudder that Trentham Camp is to be used for this purpose. The buildings will be turned into housing units and are expected to accommodate seven thousand people otherwise without homes. In addition, the Wellington City Council will acquire and fit up as a transit area the camp formerly occupied by United States troops at Kaiwarra.

Masterton Borough Couincil, in conjunction with the Wairarapa R.S.A., is actually planning to erect a transit camp to meet the pressing needs of ex-servicemen,while in Auckland twenty -four transit units are to be built in Victoria Park on freehold land owned by the Auckland City Council. Four large buildings on the park formerly occupied by American troops will be moved to the new site and remodelled into one, two and three-bedroom units. A central laundry block, ablution benches and a furniture store will also be erected, and it is hoped that the centre will be ready for occupation in about three months.

Veterinary science studies.— The University of New Zealand has advised that service students intending to study veterinary science at Sydney University will be required to pass University Entrance in three subjects at the entrance level and in one subject at the School Certificate level. This implies that Sydney will not accept students who are granted entrance on three subjects at a higher level as a war concession; nor will they, as a general rule, accept provisional matriculation.

More Trade-Training centres.—According to the Rehabilitation Department, with the opening of two new centres, one at Hamilton and another at Hastings, there will be 20 rehabilitation carpentry training centres operating throughout the Dominion. A second centre for the teaching of the painting, paper-hanging and glazing trades is to be opened in Wellington, and bricklaying and plastering classes are to commence in both Auckland and Christchurch as soon as accommodation is arranged. After the completion of the third rooftiling class at Petone, it is not intended to continue training men in that trade, since it is considered that the needs of the trade will be met in the usual way.