REPATRIATION OF SOLDERS

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXX, Issue LXXX, 14 February 1920, Page 4

REPATRIATION OF SOLDERS

ELEVEN MONTHS' OPERATIONS. 5 #~ -- _ *' ; "v":; ''; A progress return covering, the operations of the Repatriation Department for the eleven months ended January 20> lasfe, has been Issued. | The Department's register was shbwiit to comprise the names of 76,982 men, of which number 50,317 had returned to* j the Dominion since the. "beginning of 11919. Demobilisation carets were distributed as follow: Auckland-16,841, Wellington 21.182, Canterbury 9949, Qtago. 9180, head office 19,830; total, 76,982. j The Director of Repatriation (Mr J. ! R. Samson),' in<the course of his report, remarks: "It is pleasing to be able to> report that the Department is,finding no great 'difficulty in securing suitablei employment for discharged soldiers, thefigures as at January 20 showing that : up to that date 14,093. men had beeit suitably placed in employment, whilst the number on the "unemployed" register of the Department did not exceed 251 —about four days' placement. During 1919 no less than 50,000 men werereturned to the Dominion, and the fact that it was only found necessary to payunemployment sustenance allowances in? 831 cases the whole of that period speaks well for the success of this; important phase of the Department's, operations. At the date of this report 13 men were receiving unemployment j allowances. . I "The. vocational training of disabled soldiers, apprentices, etc., is receiving careful attention, and up to the present time training has been arranged" for 3496 men, 387 of whom commenced ( during the past two months. Strict ! supervision is exercised' over the trainees by experienced officers of the Department and reports rendered by the latter indicate that the bulk of the men are showing excellent progress. TJp to' the'date of , this report some 668 had finished" their course, leaving a balance of 2923* still being trained in the various techj nical schools or special soldier classes, and in the workshops andi factories of private employers throughout the Dominion. During the eleven months. 2668 loansfor the purpose of establishing a tchaiged soldiers in business (involving f.n expenditure of £606,642) have been approved hy the Ministerial Board, and during the past two months £177,574 has been paid out on behalf of soldiers for furniture, tools, business, sustenance, training fees, subsidised wages, assistance to apprentices, etc. The total amount expended to date under theseheadings is £785,135 17s 6. During the months of November and1 December £26,684 was repaid by instalments, making a of £49,315 received to date in reduction of loans-, granted.