REPATRIATING SOLDIERS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10275, 9 May 1919, Page 6

REPATRIATING SOLDIERS

. 43,000 ON THE REGISTER. PROGRESS REPORT OF DEPARTaIEiN'i'S wxiiei. The number of returned soldiers on the department's register now totals 43,012. This inciuaes iu*u. wmu axa. ■ returned to the Dominion since the Detraining of the vear. Demobilisation cards are now held by the district repatriation officers as follows: —Auckland, 5313; Wellington, 0440; Cantei-DUiy, iSo,; Oiagu, 2740; total, 17,59 k These figures include prior to 1919 and have applied for assistance from the department. Already 233 loans, totalling awl.ooo, to aos.si. uncharged soldiers to start in bu.-mesa have been approved by the Ministerial Board, and during the past month approximately x2O,WH) was actually paid on behalf of soldiers in the way oi furniture, tools, business, sustenance, training fees, subsidised wages, assistance n, apprentices, etc. The Wellington office tound the most billets for soldiers, and the Christchurch office has paid the largest amount of sustenance grants. Returns show that fewer men are receiving training in new trades in Canterbury than elsewhere, but it is expected that the next progress return will show a big increase in the Canterbury figures, as also in the Otago figures. The total number now being trained cy the department is 336. Of the men returned bv recent transports a large proportion indicated that they had their old billots to return to. Of the remainder, a number, being fit and well, readily found employment. for themselves and the department during the month secured billets for 465 men who applied tor such assistance. A further 246 men sought financial assistance during the month to enable them to start 1b bnai ness, and applied idu *or nitur© and tools of trade, etc.