8.-6.

XX

industries in which they had been trained, whilst a number of the 9 per cent, who discontinued before the completion of the course did so on account of ill health. The total amount expended upon facilities for training and for the sustenance of the men during the training-period is £382,022, an average cost of £55 for each completed trainee. Financial Assistance. Business loans have been granted in 6,087 cases, at a cost of £.1,125,713, and 14,134 men have received advances totalling £677,481 for furniture and tools of trade. Some 4,130 others have been, assisted financially in other directions ; the amount paid to or on behalf of soldiers under all headings being £2,197,956. Of this sum £1,803,194 represents advances by way of loan, and the amount received ■in repayment thereof up to the 31st March, 1922, is £901,877. An additional £42,929 has been received, as interest, making a total collection of £944,806, and it is satisfactory to be able to report that, within three years of the granting of the first loan, more than 50 per cent, of the total advanced to date has been received. Administration. From the inception of the scheme a strict supervision has been exercised by the Ministerial Board, and immediately the office charts indicated a reduction in the volume of the work a start was made in the matter of gradually tapering off repatriation, activities. The staff was reduced from 122 in March, 1921, to 71 in March, 1922, the work being now practically concentrated in the four centres, Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin. As a result the administration expenses have been reduced by over 50 per cent. Up to the 31st March, 1922, the total administrative expenditure was £152,208, or under 7 per cent, of the gross expenditure. The reductions referred to amount to £28,196 per annum, whilst further economies will add £2,000 to this sum. The following table shows the number of men assisted under the various headings, and the amount expended : —

Summary of Assistance rendered as at 31st March, 1922.

MINING. The value of the mineral-production, other than kauri-gum and coal, during 1921 amounted to £910,152, as against £846,236 during the previous year, the increase being £63,916. In the case of gold and silver bullion, the improvement is better indicated in weight than in value, owing to the prices which were realized for the precious metals having declined in conformity with the upward movement of the American rate of exchange for sterling. Notwithstanding the difficulties experienced by the mining industry, the increase in value of such metals amounted to £18,788, and in weight 77,225 ounces. The output from the coal-mines in the Dominion declined from 1,843,705 tons during 1920 to 1,809,095 tons during the year 1921, due chiefly to the increased importations, the bulk of which came from Australia. The number of persons ordinarily employed in or about mines and stone-quarries during 1921 was 7,998, or 522 persons in excess of those employed during the preceding year.

Nature of Assistance. Loans: — Business Furniture, tools, &c. Number assisted. 6,087 14,134 Amount. £ 1,125,713 677,481 Grants: — Training sustenance, &c. Transportation Unemployment sustenance 7,4-17 3,012 1,118 382,022 7,204 5,536 Placed in employment 26,854 * Totals 58,622 £2,197,956