REPATRIATION

Marlborough Express, Volume LIIII, Issue 82, 8 April 1920, Page 5

REPATRIATION

PROGRESS RETURN OF DEPARTMENT'S WORK.

The usual monthly return published by Mr J: R. Samson (Director, of Repatriation) gives some interesting figures regarding the -Department's work up to March-, 20th., 1920. The report states, inter alia: — .Employment: Since its inception the Department lias been successful in providing suitable employment for. li 5,926 men, and only 152 names remained on the "employment t wanted" register on 20/3/20, the -majority of" •this number haying , only registered ■ (Turing the preceding few days. During the past month unemployment su&t-enance allowances were granted in 25 oasos and 12 men are at. present receiving this form of assistance. The number registering for employ-., ment recently has shown. a marked decrease, and it would appear,- therefore., that one .of the Department's most serious problems has been successfully grappled with. Although no recrudescence of unemployment is expected (most of the men having been placad in "permanent" positions) the Department intends taking no risks is this respect, and therefore no modification of its employment organisation will be made at the present juncture. Training: The importance of the vocationaltraining of partially disabled soldiers, apprentices, etc., can hardly be over-estifha+ed, and this phase of the work of repatriation continues to expand. The training, is under the direction of experienced officers, and the welfare of trainees is .specially looked after by members of the "After-Care" branch Reports to hand from the latter indicate that the bulk of the men are making excellent progress and that at the present time over 100 trainees are completing their courses monthly and aro taking positions a? "skilled" tradesmen. During the,, past month 360 rien commenced training, making a •total of 4198 for whom training has been arranged to date. Of this number 918 have finished tl;eir courses, leaving a, balance of 3250 still, being trained in the workshops and 'factories of private employers throughout the Dominion.

Financial Assistance: Dining the period covered oy this report" (13 months) 3159 loans for the pui-pose of establishing discharged soldiers in business have .been approved by the Ministerial Board, involving .an expenditure of £7"22,5<)1; and during the past month £85,845 was paid out on behalf of soldiers for furniture, tools, business, sustenance, training fees, subsidised wages, assistance to apprentices, etc. The total ampunt expended to date under those headings is £966,244.