REPATRIATION WORK.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 September 1921, Page 4

REPATRIATION WORK.

The latest progress return issued by the Repatriation Department covers thirty months’ operations up to August 20 last, and gives evidence of much activity in every branch of the work. The Department has placed 24.959 discharged soldiers in employment, and has 329 still wanting work, a decrease of 53 on the previous month’s figures. Vocational training has been .arranged for 7193 partially disabled mien, of whom 4683 have completed their courses and fhave been absorbed in various industries, leaving 1131 still in training. Besides this, 1379 students have been assisted to pay fees and buy text-books, the total

ture on training facilities being £354,269. Loans to the extent of £1,079,253 have been made to assist 5842 men to start in business or professions, while 12,790 others have obtained a total of £605,594 for furniture or tools, and 3841 others have been granted financial aid for other purposes, the total amounting to £2,051,483. A gratifying feature of the report is the creditable manner in which the borrowers are repaying their loans. Out of £1,684,847 advanced, £664,359 had been collected by July 31. During that month the expenditure on sol-, diers totalled £31,594, but the repayments received amounted to £40,096, Altogether 54,625 ex-soldiers have been assisted by the Department in various ways. Tn the face of this great record there can be no doubt that the Department has proved of great service to the returned men and to the country. It is equally clear that the recipients of asassistance from the State' are mostly making commendable and conscientious efforts to carry out their part of the bargain, so that if the administrative machinery is working on economical fines the Department will well deserve high praise for its work and the manner in which it has been execute* -1