WAR EXPENDITURE.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 September 1919, Page 7

WAR EXPENDITURE.

BIG OBLIGATIONS STILL TO BE MET WORK OF REPATRIATION". By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last NightStates the Finance Minister in his annual Budget, delivered this afternoon:— At the end of the financial year IUIB- - the war expenditure of New Zealand, including imprest advances outstanding, had reached the sum of £62,6' ! 6,720; whilst towards meeting commitments connected with the New Zealand Fxpeditionary Force, there was a cash balance and temporary investments amounting to £8,fJ84',4C9. These sums do not include provision for interest and sinking fund chargeß on war loans raised, nor for war pensions, which are a charge upon the ordinary revenue of the Dominion. I must remind honorable members that, notwithstanding the fact that the war has concluded, our financial resp.wsibilty remains very great, as large sums will have to be provided for gratuities, cost of repatriation, etc. It will be necessary to continue to make generous provision, for the expert: medical treatment and skilled nursing of our sick and wounded, for whom special hospitals and sanatoria have been provided. The payment of retrospective married allowances to Boldiors' wives, for which approximately £500,000 was authorised, has absorbed £230,000 to date, but large numbers of applications are still poming in. Heavy charges for the sea transport of the returning troops, their pay, maintenance, etc., have to be met. REPATRIATION OF DISCHARGED SOLDIERS. It will be remembered that the proposal to control repatriation by a composite Board of Ministers evoked considerable criticism. The experiment, however, has proved satisfactory both to the Department and to its District Boards and Committees. In this connection, too, it is interesting to note that tho Dominion of Canada, which inaugurated its Department under the control of one Ministerial head known as the "Minister of Soldiers' Civil Re-establishment," has now found it expedient, after two years of experience, to vest the control of this great national work in a Repatriation Committee consisting of six Ministers of the Dominion Government. The Repatriation Board, in organising the work of the new Department, came to the conclusion that the most satisfactory results would be attained by decentralising control and administration as far as possible. The District Repatriation Boards and Local Committees constituted under the statute have therefore been given full executive power. This policy of decentralised control has proved a gratifying success, and has enabled all cases to be disposed of with the utmost despatch. District Boards have been established at each of the four main centres, and Local Committees with offices and paid staffs have also been set up at the principal provincial towns. In adidtion, fifty-six honorary Repatriation Committees have been constituted throughout the Dominion. These bodies are composed of members representative of and nominated by such organisations as those of the returned soldiers, labor, and the industrial, commercial, patriotic, and social interests of the community, and they are carrying out their duties with enthusiasm and with a very sympathetic regard for the soldier applicants. The local administrative staffs have been recruited exclusively from the ranks of the discharged soldiers themselves.. SOLDIERS' FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE BOARD. During the year the Soldiers' Financial Assistance Board held 245 meetings and deal with 11,052 applications, including 1831 cases previously considered. Of this number, 2150 were declined, 1920 were withdrawn by the applicants, and 7582 grants were authorised. Grants amounting to £163,601 were approved, and the sum of £137,445 was actually disbursed. It was hoped that the Board's activities would cease soon after the signing of the armistice, but, owing to the extension of the regulations permitting retrospective grants, large numbers of new applications, as well as applications previously declined through want of jurisdiction, are being received. TRAINING OF RETURNED SOLDIERS. Special attention is paid to the educational and vocational training of returned soldiers by. the Defence Department. Workshops have been built and equipped at nineteen hospitals and sanatoria. The funds for the necessary buildings and a considerable portion of the equipment have been provided by the New Zealand Bed Cross and other patriotic societies. There are sivtyeight instructors now engaged by the Department, and the subjects taught number 59. The work has a valuable curative effect, and is designed to prepare soldiers to go back to civil life. The educational and vocational training branch works in close association with the Repatriation Department, which arranges to carry on the training after the soldier is discharged. The iota! number of soldiers benefiting from the scheme in August Was 1033. Some of these attend several classes. Tho total number on the class rolls being 1457. DISCHARGED SOLDIERS* SETTLEMENT. Great activity has been displayed in the work of this important branch of the Department. The total area proclaimed under the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Act, 1915, up to the 31st March, 1919, was 507,890 acres; of w.Hich an area of 113,071 acres was proclaimed during the year. Possession was obtained by the' Crown of 31 estates purchased from private owners under the Land for Settlements Act, the majority of which have been subdivided and selected. In addition, the purchase of a number of other properties was completed, but possession had not been given at the close of the year. Practically all the settlement land opened during the year has been selected, and no effort has been spared to meet the keen demand for improved holdings All classes of land which are considered to be suitable for farming by discharged soldiers are being utilised solely for this purpose, and, in addition, many pastoral runs in the South Island, the iicenses of which have expired, are being subdivided and will be disposed of to soldiers experienced in this class of farming. Many discharged soldiers continue to take advantage of the benefits conferred by the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Amendment Act, 1917. They may obtain fimtnein] assistance to acquire freehold or Crown leasehold land and t« effect improvements thereon, whilst holdi.nss may be acquired for one or more soldier applicants through the medium of the Land Purchase Board. One of

the features of settlement under the Act has been the great demand for urban residential properties by returned soldiers who arc engaged in town vocations. Up to the 31st March last advances for this purpose were authorised to 529 returned soldiers, amounting to £318,752. The transactions finally completed at that date involved advances amounting to £212,583. Under the provision of section (! of the Discharged' Soldiers' Settlement Act, l!>17, advances have been authorised and paid as shown in the following statement:— | Authorised. Paid. £ £ Advances ■— 900 returned soldiers ~. 433,619 337,730 Rural Lands—2o3 returned soldiers .. 397,801 207,235 Dwellings—s29 returned soldiers .. 318,752 212,583 1092 returned soldiers 1,150,172 757,554 Repayment of advances, etc 35,130 Balance out on mortgage £722,424 From the above statement it will be seen that the advances authorised nearly reached the amount of loan which can be raised under the provision of section 8 of the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Act, 191*5. Owing to the rapid demobilisation of troops, and the greater expedition now shown by the Lands Department in arranging and settling transactions, the whole of the loan authorised has since been raised, and applications have been recommended by the various Land Boards considerably in excess of this amount. It is anticipated that requests for financial assistance this year will be very heavy, and proVision is being made accordingly.