ANNUAL MEETING.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 7, 30 April 1920, Page 6

ANNUAL MEETING.

REPORT OF R.S.A. REPRESENTA TIVE ON REPATRIATION BOARD I beg to submit as your representative on the Repatriation Board the following report : — During the year advances amounting to £23,167 19s 8d, which represents 119 cases have heen made. The great majority of the returned soldiers who have been assisted by the Department to start business on their own account have done remarkably well, and quite a number of them are now firmly established. No delay has occurred at the Head

Offiee as within a few days after the recommendation from the Committee telqgraphic advice is received intimating the decision of the Ministerial Board. FURNITURE LOANS. The total amount disbursed in respect to furniture loans is £9,402 15s 3d, representing 216 cases. Of this amount approximately 23 per cent was accounted for during the end of the year. TOOLS OF TRADE. The R,epatriation Board has also advanced during the period the amount of £453 4s 5d for tools of trade, This represents 28 cases. TRAINING. This forms a very important braneh of the Department's work, the total number receiving training during the period being 111, 65 of these are apprentices and subsidised workers, a large proportion of whom are disabled men learning a new trade. The most diffieult work in repatriation is the retraining of disabled men, who are unable to follow their pre-war occupation, but so far the Repatriation Board have been able to cope with all applications and the successful rehabilitation of these returned men is owing in a great measure to the warm sympathy and help of employers of labour and the trade unions. EMPLOY MENT. During the period 317 men have been placed in suitable employment. Although of considerable assistance to returned men this braneh of the Department's work shows a considerable falling off, due partlv to the fact that most of the men have now settled down to civil employment and also to the great demand for all classes of labour. UNEMPLOYED SUSTENANCE. Ihe total amount paid in sustenance for unemployment is £29 15s 4d, representing nine cases. The last payment of such sustenance was made on September 24. REPAYMENTS. It is indeed gratifying to report that repayments have been made regularly, and in most cases right up to date, which proves conclusively that the returned soldier is making good in the particular line he has taken up. I also desire to report that during the year the question of paying apprentices and subsidised workers the full amount of subsidised sustenance of pension was discussed and it is indeed ; gratifying to report that pension is on no account taken into consideration. ! The question of increasing furniture loans from £50 to £75, and business loans from £300 to £500 was also discussed | and it was recommended by tbe Repatria- ' tion Committee that the increase be granted. Unfortunately this was evidently not the case throughout the whole of New Zealand, as the Government have only granted the increase in the furniture loans leaving the business loan still standing at £300. In conclusion, I may say that the Re- ; patriation Committee deals with each case in the most sympathetic manner, and I am sure that if other Departments who j handle soldiers' affairs dealt with them in j the same manner as this Department there | would be little need of complaint from J anyone.