REPATRIATION IN NEW ZEALAND.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 February 1922, Page 7

REPATRIATION IN NEW ZEALAND.

PROGRESS RETURN. Employment. —The Department has placed 26,439 discharged soldiers in employment, and there are at the present time 277 names on the “employment wanted” register (Auckland 68, Wellington 115, Canterbury 60, Otago 34). These figures represent a decrease at each centre as compared with those contained in last report (November). It was necessary during the past two months to pay unemployment sustenance in twelve cases of hardship.

Training. —In addition to 1401 students who have been assisted financially with grants for the payment of fees and the purchase of text 'books, the Department has arranged vocational training for 5941 partially disabled soldiers. apprentices, etc., and 5417 of this number have completed their courses and have been absorbed in various industries. Since our last report (November 30), 38 men have compaenced training and 334 have completed their courses. This leaves 524 still being trained, viz., 394 subsidised.workers and apprentices in private workshops or factories; 105 trainees at Ruakura and Tauherenikau training farms, etc.; and 25 others at univei ; sities, etc. The total amount expended to date on the provision of facilities for training and for the sustenance of trainees is £376,324 Financial assistance. —Loans to assist discharged soldiers to establish themselves. in businesses or professions have been granted in 6033 cases at a cost of £1,116,797. A further 13,816 men have received advances totalling £660,667 for the purchase of household furniture or tools-of-trade, and 4048 have been granted financial assistance in other directions, the amount paid to or on behalf of soldiers under all headings being £2,166,462.

Repayments.—Of the total amount of £2,166,462 expended on behalf of soldiers, £1,777,4(14 represents loan ad vances for the establishment of businesses or for the purchase of household fur niture, etc., and up to December 31 •last the department had collected in respect thereof £'849,646. The monthly collections now amount to about double the monthly expenditure on soldiers, the figures for the past three months being: —Repayments, £106,781; expenditure. £56.920. Of the 10.849 loans granted, 2727. have already been entirely repaid-