WORK OF REPATRIATION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16366, 3 March 1921, Page 6

WORK OF REPATRIATION.

1 TWO YEARS' OPERATIONS. I The latest progress return issued by { the Director of Repatriation deals ■with I the period ending February 20, and includes twenty-four months’ operations. It states that there are at thy present time 79,030 names on the register of the Repatriation Department. Employment.—Since its inception the Department has placed 22,502 discharged soldiers in suitable employment, and the number on the “employment wanted '* register at the date of this report is 128. The majority of these men have registered for employment within the past few days, and none are drawing unemployment sus- I tenance allowances, i.e., none have been on the books of the Department Training.—Vocational training (with sustenance or subsidy) has been arranged for 5460 men, and of these 3737 have finished their courses, leaving a balance of 1723 still being trained in special soldier classes and technical schools, or in the workshops and factories of private employers. An additional 1253 students, who are attending evening classes at universities or commercial 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. Department’s operations is showing a rapid decrease month by month. During February sixty-three men commenced training, and 207 trainees completed their courses and secured employment as *’* skilled ” tradesmen. The total expenditure to date on training facilities, sustenance of trainees, etc., is £258,612-After-Care. -The reports of the After-Care officers for the past month have been very satisfactory, and go to show that much success is attending their efforts to place numbers of disabled men in occupations which are considered more suitable than those in which they have been engaged. Ep to the present aftei'-care officers have dealt with 1080 chest cases, 369 amputees, and 632 men suffering from other serious disabilities, and have iri addition, during the past month inspected and reported upon the subsidised trainees throughout the DominFinancial Assistance.—A steady decroaso is apparent during the past few months in ' the number of applications received for financial assistance. Ep to February 20, 4804 loans for the purpose of acquiring or establishing businesses had been approved by the Ministerial Board, involving an expenditure of £1,089,004. In addition to this 11,021 men have been granted loans for the purchase of household furniture, tools, etc-, and a further 4130 have received financial assistance in other directions, the amount paid to or on behalf of soldiers under all headings totalling £1,757,819. Repayments.—The amount collected by the Department up to January 31 last on account of loans granted was £440,783. and grantors are in the great majority of cases meeting their obligations promptly. Instalments amounting to £35,597 were collected during the month of January, a rate of over £125,000 per annum. Summary.—The summary of assistance rendered is as follows : Placed in employment . . 22,502 Trained or in training . . 6,713 Financially assisted . 19,955 Total .... 49,170 ! —-KE*