REPATRIATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 August 1919, Page 6

REPATRIATION.

PROGRESS RETURNS. The number of returned soldiers ion the Department's register now totals 60,302. This includes 33,037 men who have returned to the Dominion since the beginning of the year. Demobilisation cards are now held by the district repatriation officers as follows: Auckland ~ 11,451 Wellington f ... 13^56 Canterbury ............ 0,522 Otago 1 , 5,900 Total 37,889 These figures include cards for some 4252 men who returned prior to 1910, and have enquired regarding assistance from the Department. The reports appended show that 845 loans, totalling £189,555, to assist discharged soldiers to start in business, have been approved by the Ministerial Board, and that during .ihe past month £70,000 was actually paid on behalf of soldiers in the way of furniture, tools, business, sustenance, training fees, subsidised wages, assistance to apprentices, etc. The returns show that the total number of men at present being trained in new trades by the Department is 1185, and that during the. month the Department secured'billets for 97S men who applied for such assistance. A further 202 men sought financial assistance to enable them to start in business, arid 030 applied for grants for furniture and tools of trade, etc.

The amounts being paid out' monthly by the various boards and committee's' still show a large increase, the figures for the period under review exceeding those of the previous month by over £lb,tß)o. The total amount advanced to soldiers to date is £183,874.