H—lB

at Massey College, where ex-servicemen who received rehabilitation assistance were successful in gaining 12 of the 14 special prizes awarded. Success was not only confined to the professional field, as a part-time rehabilitation student qualified for the Cable Makers' Association gold medal award, which goes to the candidate receiving highest marks in New Zealand in the annual examinations for electrical wiremen's registration. (iv) Overseas Bursaries 60. A large number of these students are now returning, and it can be readily assumed that the added knowledge and qualifications acquired through rehabilitation assistance will be of ultimate benefit not only to these ex-servicemen, but also to the community. 61. During the year the benefits payable under rehabilitation overseas bursaries were reviewed by the Rehabilitation Board, but, after having regard to all the facts involved, the Board considered that the present benefits (which are outlined hereunder) were the maximum which should be made available from public funds: — (a) Subsistence allowance at the rate of £328 per annum sterling for married bursars and £250 sterling per annum in the case of single men, payable from the time of arrival in the United Kingdom until the earliest date a bursar can obtain a return passage, to New Zealand. (b) Tuition and examination fees for the course. (c) Refund for text-books purchased up to £5 sterling per academic year. (d) Tourist-class passages from and to New Zealand for bursar. (e) Voyage allowance at the rate of 16s. sd. per day for married bursars and ss. 3d. per day for single bursars for the journeys from and to New Zealand. (/) Reasonable travelling-expenses (second and third class) incurred in New Zealand and the United Kingdom (from home address in New Zealand to port of embarkation, and port of disembarkation to place of study; similar assistance also for return trip). (g) Reasonable travelling-expenses are also granted to those bursars who may be required to be absent from their normal places of study to acquire necessary practical experience. (v) Local-body Officers' Refresher Course 62. Following arrangements with the Internal Affairs Department and the Local Bodies' Administrative Officers' Institute, courses were held in Rotorua and Dunedin for local body officers who had at least one year's interruption to their careers through service in the Forces, including overseas service, or two years' service in New Zealand. The courses were of a general character, designed to assist these officers, irrespective of what branch of local-government work they were engaged on, with particular attention being paid to changes which had taken place since 1939. Judging from the enthusiasm and interest displayed by the ex-servicemen who attended, it is considered that the assistance provided by the Board was well worth while. (vi) Children of Deceased and Totally Disabled Servicemen 63. The organization of the scheme for dealing with educational assistance and career training for the children of deceased and totally incapacitated servicemen is functioning smoothly, and Advisory Committees have been established in seventeen of the principal towns in New Zealand. These Advisory Committees, comprising the Rehabilitation Officer (Chairman), a representative of the local branch of Heritage (Inc.), and the District Vocational Guidance Officer or Honorary Education Adviser, have, during the past twelve months, been visited by the Chairman of the

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