H—lB

(ii) Allocation of State Mental Houses 95. District Rehabilitation Committees in the year allocated 1,603 State houses and flats to eligible ex-servicemen, making a total allocation to 31st March, 1948, of 8,242 units. (iii) Erection of Homes 96. Loan authorizations for the erection of new homes totalled £3,511,325, involving 2,629 cases in the year. 97. By comparison, the figures for the year ended 31st March, 1947, were £4,030,623, involving 3,057 cases. (iv) Purchase of Homes 98. Loans for the purchase of existing dwellings were authorized in 2,906 cases to the total value of £2,725,960 in the year, by comparison with 3,707 cases, involving £3,523,119, in the previous year. (v) Supplementary Loans 99. In addition to the interest-bearing loans mentioned in parts (iii) and (iv) above, supplementary interest-free loans have been granted in 3,122 cases to the extent of £467,775 in the vear, making total advances under this class of loan to 31st March, 1948, £1,728,587 in 11,536 cases. 100. These loans, which are not repayable so long as the ex-serviceman or his dependants continue in occupation of the property, are granted to bridge the gap between present-day costs and normal values, and each case involved is examined on its merits. (vi) Furniture 101. During the year, interest-free loans for the purchase of household furniture were granted in 7,954 cases to the total of £729,058. 102. These figures represent a decrease of 177 cases, involving £25,451, over the corresponding figures for the previous year. 103. To 31st March, 1948, 28,429 loans, involving £2,613,360, have been granted. SECTION XIII.—MAORI REHABILITATION (i) Administration 104. As evidenced by the number of applications dealt with during the year, the interest which Maori ex-servicemen are attaching to the facilities available to them has not in any way diminished and the position remarked upon in the previous report has been more than maintained in the year. (ii) Demobilization 105. As at 31st March, 1948, a total of 4,995 Maori ex-servicemen and ex-service women have been demobilized. Of this number, 3,706 had served overseas and 1,289 in New Zealand. (iii) Trade Training 106. The Rehabilitation Board is greatly interested in the future welfare and employment of Maori ex-servicemen, and to seeing that, after training is completed, they take their share in permanent employment offering in skilled occupations throughout the country.

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