REPATRIATION WORK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17361, 7 January 1920, Page 7

REPATRIATION WORK.

AUCKLAND ACTIVITIES. MUCH GOOD ACCOMPLISHED. TRAINING AND LOANS. Interesting aspects of repatriation work in the Auckland district are mentioned by Mr. Frank ft. Burbush, district repatriation officer, i.i his report for December. He- state? that the main repatriation preblem—the restoration of the "eturning so: - diers to civil —has been -■juccessfu'ly dealt with. There is practically no unemployment among fit men, and ample j facilities are provided for thu training of j men whose war disabilities prevent them | from returning to their pre-war occupaI tion. I Claims for the unemployment sustenance allowance are practically ml, and ini creased training allowances have taken j the place of unemployment sustenance. The employment question ka<; Been prac- | tically settled, and to-day the number of 1 men seeking work is only 49. Since i November 298 applications have been re--1 ceived, and of these applicants 262 have ( been definitely placed m employment.

The Training Section, In the training section the total number undergoing training with the assistance of the Department is now 8&1. Training is being carried on at the Department's own classes, at the Ruakura Training Farm, Auckland University College, Training College, Technical School, private schools, and in private workshops, factories, and offices. At the suggestion of Mr. R. F. Barter, secretary of the Allied Ironworks Trade Union of Auckland, a sheetmetai workers' class was formed. Two weeks a.'ter this class had opened, the trade had placed orders of goods to bo manufactured by the trainees, and such useful articles a;; cake tins, pannikins, billies, and toy buckets were satisfactorily made. There will bo no difficulty in thy absorption of these trainees into private workshops. Help lor Injured Men. j A number of men, mostly trainees with ' leg and thigh disabilities, have commenced i under a practical instructor on commercial ' boot-making sent in by private factories. , Proficiency has already been shown in the j stitching of uppers end in the clicking department. Tho motor driving and run- ; ning repairs class is still doing a useful I work and men finishing the course here I have, no difficulty in obtaining employI ment. Most of them ha.e pensions I guaranteed before joining the class. The policy of the district office is to draft the trainees from the department's classes . into private shops and factories as soon 3.3 possible, and already there is an increasing demand from private employers for th-3se men. Some idea of the amount of work I handled by the Auckland district, vocational office may he judged from the fol- ' lowing figures compiled from returns I dated April, 1919, to December 19, 1919: —Total number of cases dealt with 1629,

as follows: Approved 1027, tools approved 194; books, fees, etc., approved 202, refused 106 Expenditure Incurred. I

The statement of expenditure for the month ending December 20 makes interesting reading. In the report embracing the period ending August 20 it was shown th.it a total sum of £41,663 4? was disbursed. Since then the monthly totals have been as follows September, £45.910 2s lid; October, £39,838 ss, lOd; November, £41,642 16s sd; Dr-cember, £41,260 Is lid, thus indicating that the expenditure of the Department has reached an approximate level. The amount expended on business loans has dropped from £34,382 4s 6d in September, to £25,609 8s 5d in December, and has risen oil furniture loans from £6837 5s lid to £8064 3s 7d, the largest sum yet expended in this particular class of departmental business. The expenditure on training has also risen, the figures being £4011 lis 8d for September, and £6168 12s 4d for December. The increase in the total amounts received in repayments of principal and interest also makes interesting reading for, whereas in August, repayments of principal amounted to £998 12s 4d and interest £56 19s, in December th'i amounts are £7119 0s lOd and £342 0:5 lid respectively, the repayments " for December total approximately 81 per cent of the amount due. So far there has not been c. complete loss on a loan. The system of inspection and close follow up of repayment demands overdue has resulted in suggestions being made to men not likely to make a success of the business to trar.sfer their l'">ans to other returned soldiers and by this means the State has been protected. There is nothing to indleat-3 a rapid decline in the num oer ci applications for business and furniture loans.