REPATRIATION.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 35, 12 November 1920, Page 4

REPATRIATION.

OPERATIONS FOR TWENTY MONTHS The p.z^ress return of the Repatriation Department, covering the period of 20 rnonths ended October 20, states that at that time the number of names on the register was 78,590. The return adds : - Employment. — Since its inception the Department has placed 20,621 discharged soldiers in suitable employment, and the number on the "employment vanted register at the date of this report (October 20, 1920), is 128. The majority of tliese have registered for employment within the past few days, and there are at the present time only four discharged solaicrs dr.&wing unemployment sustenance allowance, i.e., men who have been on the books of the Department for more than one week. The total anrount pail out to date as unemployment sustenance is only £5223. Training. — V ocational training (with sustenance or subsidy) has been arranged for 5206 men, and of these 2321 have finished their courses, leaving a balance of- 2885 still being trained in special soldier cl&sseg and technical schuols, or in the workshops and factories of private employers. An additional 1176 students who are attending evening classes at universities or com. mercial colleges, or who are studying by correspondence with recognised institutions have been assisted with grants towards fees and text books. Officers of the Department keep in touch with all the trainees, and the latest reports show that the latter are making excellent progress. This section of the Uepartment's operations is showing a slight decrease rnonth hy month, and during October 117 men commenced training, and 195 trainees completed their courses and securecl employment as "skilled" tradesmen. The total expenditure to date on training facilities, sustenance of trainees, etc., is £214,919. After-care.- — The reports of the aftercare officers, for the past month have been exceedingly satisfactory', and go to show the suocess that is attending their effort to place numbers of disabled men in occupations which are considered more suitable than those in which. they have been engaged. Up to the present aftercare officers have dealt with 811 chest cases, 337 amputees, and 435 men sufferj ing from other serious dicabilitiee, and have, in addition, during the past rnonth, inspected and reported upon 280 subsidised trainees throughout the D^^nion. Financial Assistance. — A steady decrease is apparent during the past few months in the number of applications received for financial assistance, and a substantial decrease of expenditure in this direction is confidently anticipated. Up to October 20, 4496 loans for ihe purpose of acquiring or establishing businesses had been approved by the Ministerial Board, involving an expenditure of £1,018,308. In addition to this 9763 men have been granted loans for the purchase of household furniture, tools, etc., and a further 3855 have received financial assistance in other directions, the amount paid to or on behalf of soldiers under all headings totalling £1,639,431. Repayments.— The amount collected hy the Department up to September 30, 1920, account of loans granted was £305,383. Grantors are in the great majority of cases meeting their ohligations with loyalty and promptitude, and less than 5 per cent of the 14,731 men who have been granted loans are in arrear with their payments. Instal merita amounting to £31,380 were collected during the month of September, a rate of about £400,000 per annum. A summary of assistance rendere'd is as follows : — Placed in employment 20,621 Trained or in training ... ... 6,382 Financially assisted 18,024 Total 45,027