REPATRIATION OF SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 69, 16 December 1918, Page 6

REPATRIATION OF SOLDIERS

WHAT AUSTRALIA IS DOING

NEARLY £500,000 SPENT

[Of the 112,066 Australians who had enlisted 'for service abroad up to the end of September, 78,514 have returnto Australia. In addition, 52,630 men had been killed or have died, and the Federal Repatriation Department has had to make provision for the discharged soldiers and the dependants of the dead men. AVhat has been done to date was 6et out in a report which Senator Milieu laid on the table of the Federal House of Representhtives some days ago.] The report deals with the work performed by the Department from the time of its inauguration—a pariod of nearly seven months. Up to September Ml the number of men who had enlisted in Australia for service abroad totalled 412,066. and of that number 78,544 had been returned to Australia. The total discharged in Australia at that date was 68,334, and the total discharged abroad 1699. The number of soldiers who enlisted from tho different States is shown by the following table:— Enlist- Disments. charged. New-South Wales ... 161,821 22,995 Victoria 111,305 20,903 ■ Queensland 57,084 9,588 South Australia 34,566 6,282 West Australia ....... 82,028 6,399 Tasmania .; 15,262 2,167 412,066 68,334 In addition to men who have been discharged. 52,636 men had been killed or had died of wounds or sickness. The total number of persons who applied for assistance in one form or another was 34,588. The number of applicants in the different States were :-N.5.W.,'8714; Victoria, 8637; Queensland, 8491; South Australia, 5571; West Australia, 2170; Tasmania, 1005.

Returning to Work. The policy pursued by the Department in dealing with applications from returned discharged soldiers wa6, wherever possible, to return those men who were tit and strong, and capable of performing the'same kind of work, they were engaged upon prior to enlistment, back to their former or some similar occupation. Every endeavour was made to place a man in a permanent position, and this ohjoct in the main had been accom-. plished. Among those who had applied for employment were a number of unskilled labourers, whom it had been found difficult to permanently Teinstate. On the other hand, some men who had been installed in position to which permanent occupancy attached ha<l jailed, either through a recurrence of ill-health or from some other reason, to retain their billets. the records of the employment section are:— Applications received 25,345 Placed in positions '. 20,970 Applications lapsed or withdrawn 2,653 Number awaiting employment • 1.722

A satisfactory and highly encouragingfeature of the Departmental organisation was that it had been able to more than cope with current monthly applications, and had succeeded in securing and maintaining a substantial reduction of tho numbers awaiting employment. .. A "floating balance" must be brought forward from month to month, but it was to be noted that of 26,000 applications for employment received sinco April 8 only 1720 applicants were awaiting positions at October 2G. , There was an increase in the number of men awaiting employment at the end of July, due principally to the fact that during' the early winter months many men suffered from their ( wounds, or from a recurrence of illness, and were forced to give- up their positions, and, alter resting to again seek employment.

Vocational Training. With regard to vocational training, the aim of the Department was to restore or promote those who come within the classifications to the v fullest degree of efficiency possible.! In all cases where vocational training was provided monetary assistance was given to the trainee during the training period to enable him and his' dependents to live in coinIn providing training facilities for widows th* idea was primarily to assist young, able-bodied women without families to equip themselves for some useful remunerative occupation, wpd so supplement their pensions. Although widows with children were not debarred from receiving such ' assistance, it is , the policy of the Department that they should not be encouraged to undergo training unless they could make proper provision for the care of their children. The number of applications for vocational training that had been received was 0156. Of these 308* had been approved, 1629 had been either withdrawn or- refused, and 143 were pending. Notwithstanding the unusual features which this educational task presented, the results which had been obtained were ((eminently satisfactory. Upwards of 80 classes had been formed in the capital citie3 of the State and in the more important provincial centres, and provision had been made for their extension as circumstances demanded. Industrial Groups, The industrial groups in which soldiers had been and wero, being trained is set out in the following table:— Group. Trainees. Compd. Books and printing 60 10 Clerical 711 151 Clothing 86 6 Eleotrical 179 36 Engineering 33-1 179 Leather 124 . 76 Metal trades 67 11 Professional (includes uni- ■ versify students) 224 52 Rural industries W 195 Wood .-. 235 68 Miscellaneous 6" 10 2263 7.94 Under the assistance section, a large volume of work had been transacted. The applications reached 44,744, of which 36,569, or 82 per cerit., were approved. The total expenditure amounted to .£370,332, of which J1262,605 was advanced by way of gift, .£101,672 by way of loan, and .£6055 for payment of instructors' fees and other purposes. Tho majority of the applications were for sustenance, which accounted for 24,096 applications, and an expenditure of •£188,602'. Provision was also made for the gift to widows in neces-sitous circumstances, with children, and totally and permanently incapacitated soldiers, of furniture up'to the value of .£25. This item covered an expenditure of ,£22,71-}, the 1 benefits being availed of by 2922.applicants. ' ■ \