REPATRIATION OF SOLDIERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 February 1920, Page 7

REPATRIATION OF SOLDIERS.

ELEVEN MONTHS' OPERATIONS. A progress return covering the operations of the Repatriation Department for the eleven months ended January 20 last, was issued on Wednesday. The Department's register was shown to comprise the names of 76,932 men, of u'hieh number 50.317 had returned to the Dominion since tho beginning of 19111. Demobilisation cards were distributed as follow: Auckland 10, SH, Wellington 21,182, Canterbury 0,949, Otago 11,180, liend office 19,830; total, 70,982. Thfe Director of Repatriation (Mr. J. R. Samson), in the course of his report, remarks: "l£ is pleasing to be able to report that the Department is finding jto great difficulty in securing suitable employment for discharged soldiers, the figures as at January 20 showing that up to that date 14,093 men had been suitably placed in employment, whilst tho number on Jhe "unemployed" register of the Department did. not exceed 2ol—about four days' placement. During 1919 no less than 50,000 men were returned to the Dominion, and the fact that it was only found necessary to pay unemployment sustenance allowances in 831 cases during the whole of that period speaks well for the success of this important phase of the Department's operations. At the date of this report 13 men were receiving unemployment allowances.

"The vocational training of partially disabled soldiers, apprentices, etc., is receiving careful attention, and up to the present time training ha=t been arranged for 3400 men, 387 of whom commenced during the first two months. (Strict pupervision is exercised over the trainees by experienced officers of the Department and reports rendered by the latter indicate that, the bulk of the men are showing excellent progress. Up to the date of this report, some 608 had finished their course, leaving a balance of 2828 Ktill being trained in the various technical schools or special soldier classee, and in the workshops and factories of private employers throughout the Dominion.

"During the 11 months, 2(ifiS loans for the purpose of establishing discharged soldiers in business (involving an expenditure of £(MK!,O42) have been approved by the Ministerial Board, and during the past two months £177,574 has been paid out on behalf of soldiers foi> furniture, tools, business, sustenance, training fees, subsidised waffes, assistance to apprentices, etc. The total amount expended to date under these headings is £785,135 17s fid. "During the months of November and December £26,081- was repaid bv instalments. making a. total of £49.315 re-' ceived to date in reduction of loans granted.''