DEFENCE EXPENDITURE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16833, 25 April 1918, Page 6

DEFENCE EXPENDITURE.

| WORK OF INFORMATION BUREAU J [BY TELEGRAPH.— association.] j WELLINGTON. Wednesday J Giving evidence before the Defence i. pendituro Commission to-day, Mr. J. R Sampson, officer in charge of the Returne( Soldiers' Information Department, saic up to the end of last February account: , for the cost of the Department had beer 1 passed by him, totalling £7995. Aftei deducting amounts paid to soldiers foi i special tuition allowances, railway farce I and medical examination, the average cos of the Department for ths two and a-hall years of its existence was £2462, not in eluding initial expenses. As far as expense was concerned, hi did not see how the Returned Soldiers Association could administer the office more economically than his Department There were signs that the Department': schemes for financially assisting mer learning new trades at technical schools factories, workshops, etc., were meeting with increasing favour. A scheme whicl ! may involve the expenditure of thousand! t of pounds of public moneys could not, hi | thought, be h.tnded over to an associa'tior of private persons not subject to the con tro! of a responsible Minister. It was impossible to conceive that public opinion would approve of the whole re .fonsihility of providing training and em ployment fur disabled soldierr, being banded over to a private institution ii exchange for a subsidy of £500 per annum, the Government, presumably thereafter washing its hands of all responsibility Of 17.065 men returned. 5!Cr, had gone back to their former or otlier occupations, while 3107 had signified that they did not require assistance.