REPATRIATION

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 192, 9 May 1919, Page 3

REPATRIATION

A PROGRESS REPORT

ASSISTANCE, SUSTENANCE AND OTHER AIDS

The number of soldiers returned to New Zealand, as shown by tho register of the Repatriation Department, is 42 012 This includes 16,247 men who have returned to the Dominion sinco the beginning of tho present year. Already 239 loans, totalling .£51,500, to assist discharged soldiere to commence in business, havo been approved by tho board, and during tho past month approximately 6620,000 wns actually paid on behalf of eoldiers for assistances under the following headings:—Furniture, tools, business, sustenanco, training fees, subsidised wages, assistance to apprentices. The Wellington offico found most billets for eoldiers, and the office which has paid the most in sustenance rates is at Christchurch. But in no part of New Zealand dp the figures showing the amount of sustenance paid justify the complaints made front-time to time about the lurge numbors of returned men. unnblo to got' work. Every man who is prepared to accept any work offering may be granted sustenance at the rate of £2 2s. a week if ho is a single man, and higher ratos if he is married. In Wellington one soldier received sustenance, and tho amount paid to him was .£2 2e., the allowance .for one week. In Auckland .£2lO was paid to CO men, in Canterbury .£291 wns paid to 76 men, and in Olago .£39 was paid to 6 men—a total of ,£543 to 1-43 men.- Canterbury also has the worst record, of, the offices in regard to the number of men undergoing training, either at sohools or as subsidised workers.. The number of men receiving assistance in Canterbury under these heads is 24, and the amount of assistance given to them .£7l. In Auckland the number of trainees is 77, and the assistance J8341, in Wellington 45 men receivo ,£207, and in Otago 53 men'receive .£2.54.' :•..-■.

Following, are tho. number of men placed in employment during the month: -Auckland, 89; Wellington, 218; Canterbury, 103; aiid Otago,'ss-a total of 465 men placed by the Department in one month. /'A largo. number of! the men coming by recent transports , reported that they had billets to go to, and a number, being fit and well, readily found employment for themselves. During the month 24.fi men sought financial assist ance to enable -them to start in "business, and 262 applied for grants for furniture, tools of trade, etc. Tho amounts of loans granted during the month were as follow:—For business -Auckland, 21 men,--.£3755; Wellington, 24 men, ,£5084;. Canterbury, 26 men, .£3032; Otago, 21 men, .£3675. For furnU turo—Auckland, 9 men, .£295; Wellington; 10 men, .£898; Canterbury, 9 men, £394; OtngOj 14, mon, .£474. The amounts granted for tools iof trade vary-a great deal in the four districts. They are as follow:—Auckland, .E22 to' 3 men; Wellington,' .£32 to 2 men.;. Canterbury, to 9 men; and 0tag0, , .£199 to 7 men.