REPATRIATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 March 1921, Page 7

REPATRIATION.

latest progress return. The Repatriation Department reports as follows: There are at the present time 79,030 names on the Register of the Repatria-' tion Department. EMPLOYMENT. 'Since its inception the Department has placed 22,502 discharged soldiers in suitable employment, and the number on the “Employment Wanted” Register at the date of this report, February 20, 1921, is 128. The majority of these men have registered for employment within the past few days, and none are drawing unemployment sustenance allowances, i.e. Bone have been on the books of the Department for more than one week. , TRAINING. Vocational training (with sustenance or subsidy), has, baen arranged for 5,460 men, and of these 3,737 have finished their courses leaving a balance of 1,723 still being trained in spacial soldfier classes and Technical schools, or in the workshops and factories of private employers. An additional 1,253 students who are attending evening classes at universities or commercial colleges, or who are studying by correspondence with recognised institutins have been assisted with, grants towards fees and text books. Officers of the Department keep in touch with all the trainees,, and the latest reports show that the latter are making excellent progress. This section of the Department’s operations is showing a rapid decrease month by month,,and during February, 63 men commenced training, and 207 trainees completed their courses and secured employment as “skilled” tradesmen. The total expenditure to date on training facilities, sustenance of trainees etc., is £258,612. AFTER-CARE. The reports of the after-care officers for the phst month have been very satisfactory, and go to show that much success is attending their efforts to place numbars of disabled men in occupations which are considered more suitable than those in which they have been engaged. Up to the present after-care officers have dealt with 1080 chest cases, 369 amputees, and 632 men suffering from other serious disabilities, and have in addition, during the past month, inspected and reported upon the subsidised trainees throughout the Dominion. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. A steady decrease is apparent during the past few months in the number of applications received for financial assistance. .Up to the 20th February, 4,804 loans for the purpose of acquiring or establishing businesses, had been approved by the Ministerial Board, involving an expenditure of £1,089,004. In addition to this 11,021 men have been granted loans for the purchase of household furniture, tools, etc., and a further 4,130 have received financial assistance in other directions, the amount paid to or on behalf of soldiers under all headings totalling £1,757,819. REPAYMENTS. The amount collected by the Department up to January 31, 1921, on account of loans granted was £440,788 and grantors are in the great majority of cases meeting their obligations promptly. Instalments amounting to £3'5,597 were collected during the month of January, a rate of over £425,000 pef annum. SUMMARY OF ASSISTANCE RENDERED. Placed in employment 22,502 Trained or in training . 6,713 Financially assisted .< 19,955 Total .... .. 49,170