9

H.-30

EXPENDITURE ON SOLDIERS. The total amount advanced to or expended on behalf of soldiers since the inception of the Department is as follows :— Loans :— £ s. d. Businesses ... ... ... ... ... 193,951 6 8 Furniture ... ... ... ... ... 56,580 4 6 Tools, &c. ... ... ... ... ... 5,337 1.1 5 Grants: — Training sustenance , , ... ... ... 16,868 910 Unemployment sustenance ... .. ... ... 3,089 0 5 Transportation ... ... ... ... ... 1,275 II 1 Total ... ... ... ... £277,102 311 Of this total it will be noted that the bulk (93 per cent.) is by way of loan and is repayable by the soldier. Returns to hand show that £6,000 lias already been repaid, mostly in very small sums; and reports from the District Repatriation Officers indicate that almost without exception the men are loyally meeting their obligations in the matter of repayments. A. chart showing the monthly expenditure and repayments is shown below.

AI )M [NISTEATION EXPEND!TUR E. The administration expenses of the Department to date amount to £16,750, or 6 per cent, of the total expenditure. This amount, of course, includes the initial expenses connected with the setting-up of the Department and the furnishing and equipping of the nineteen branches, and the proportion of administration expenditure to soldiers' expenditure is steadily decreasing. GENERAL REMARKS. Briefly reviewing the report, it will be seen from the figures that the unemployment question is well in hand; a great measure of success is attending the Department's educational and vocational retraining schemes, and large numbers of soldiers are availing themselves of the liberal financial assistance provided for them; and are meeting their obligations promptly. The Department is honestly doing its best in the interests of the discharged soldiers—there is no " camouflage," and each applicant for assistance is sympathetically dealt with. Bearing in mind the fact that the invalided men are already to a great extent repatriated, or are being trained and are well on the way towards that goal, and that the majority of those now returning are. fit men, the Department believes it is justified in taking an optimistic view of the future, and confidently anticipates that the very satisfactory conditions at present prevailing will continue until the whole of our boys have been resettled in the Dominion that they have so worthily represented at the front. We have acknowledged the great work that has been accomplished by the patriotic workers on the various Boards and Committees, and would thank also the members of the staff in the different branches for their loyal, support and heart)' co-operation Reports furnished to the Director by the four District Repatriation Officers, at Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin, are appended. W. H. Heebies, Chairman. Repatriation Board. W. D. S. MaoDonam), ) J. A. Hanan, [ Members of the Board. D. H. Guthrie, I Wellington, 20th August, 1919.

2—H. 30.