REPATRIATION

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 210, 31 May 1920, Page 4

REPATRIATION

VIEWS OF N.Z.R.S.A. "Of all the Departments which give aid to returned men, the Repatriation Department, which was specially created to assist tho returned soldier, has 'been of the greatest service to the soldier, and to the community," states the annual report of the N.SS.R.S.A. "Experience in dealing with cases has proved that tho weakness of thu Repatriation Department lies in the fact that the co-ordination be. tween it and tho different Departments which help tho soldior, from the time he leaves the Army untU h« is a citizen again, is weak, inasmuch as this Department has only partial control er jurisdiction over matters referring to returned men. It is even believed that all applications for assistance (lo not come before it, and in some cases it may not even know what aid is being given by other Departments, and they in turn may not know what the Repatriation Department is doing. One of the first duties of the new Parliament should be to complete co-ordination by having all applications lodged with one Department su that every application would be considered on the facts produced." Up to date t.ho Repatriation Department has arranged for tho training of 431!) men. Of this number 107* have finished their courses, leaving 3245 still being trained in the special solmer classes in technical schools and in the workshops and factories of private emplovers throughout the Dominion. As a result over 100 trainees are faking positions as "skilled" tradesmen evory montli. The amount expended to date for training facilities and sustenance to trainees is ,£123,742. Up to tho end of April, 1920, the Repatriation Department has secured employment for 16,081 men, and only ICS names Temain oil their "employment wanted" register. Out of these 168 men, there are only 9 receiving unemployment sustenance allowances, T.e., men who could not be placed in employment by tine Department within one week of date of registration. Since the inception of the Repatriation Department the number of financial asstance applications dealt with up to ifpril 20, 1920, was 14,901, of which 12,315 were granted, 1372 were refused, 911 witnuruwn, and 273 were pending. Loans tot ailing .£928,860 7s. sd. had been granted no follow -.-■Business, .£692,880 9s. 6d,j fuiniture, 14s. 8(1.; tools, etc.. ,£14647 3s. 3d. The total grants made amounted to £131,-IGO lis. 2d., comprised as. follows'.— Unemployment sustenance, 414621 16s. lOd.; training sustenance, .£123 742 IBs. Od. ; transportation, ,£3095 17s lOd. Up to March 31, 1920, loans had been repaid to the extent of ,£122,250 2s.

ld jt ia most gratifying to report that grantees are meeting their obligations promptly, and that less than 6_ ptv cent, of the 9370 men who havo received loans are irregular in their payments. During March 110 less than JE-20,913 was repaid to the Department. ■