REPATRIATION RETURNS

Waikato Times, Volume 94, Issue 14583, 4 February 1921, Page 6

REPATRIATION RETURNS

23 MONTHS’ OPERATIONS, The register of the I'toi'mrlmcnt now contains tin- names of 78,889 demobilised soldiers, ami assistance has been rendered in 48,127 cases. Employment. The Department has placed 22,080 men in suitable employment, and there are at the present lime only 108 men awaiting placement, of whom not one has been on the books of ttie Department for more than one week. During the past 12 months there has never at any time been more than 150 men on the- “Employment Wanted” register, and the total number to whom it has been found necessary to pay unemployment sustenance since the inception of the Department is only 1072, or very little more than 1 per cent, of the number demobilised. Train.ng. The vocational training schemes inaugurated by the Department have been most successful, and 5397 men have been trained in special soldiers’ classes and technical schools or in the workshops and factories of private employers, whilst an additional 1229 students attending evening classes at universities or commercial colleges have been assisted with grants towards fees and text-books. Trainees have been carefully “shepherded” by experienced officers, and the percentage of failures has been negligible. Some 3530 men have finished (heir courses and have secured employment as “skilled” tradesmen. The total expenditure to dale on training facilities, sustenance of trainees, etc., is £2 13,384. After Care. A good many seriously disabled men resumed occupations now rendered unsuitable owing to war disabilities, and Ihe reports of the “after rare” oflieers indicate that a great measure of success is attending their efforts' to place such men in more congenial employment. Up (o Die ['resent these oflieers have dealt with 100.) chest cases, 339 amputees, and 601 men suffering from other serious disabilities. In addition to this they have inspected ami reported upon 217 subsidised trainees during the past month. Financial Assistance. fp to the 20lh January 4700 loans for the purpose of acquiring or establishing businesses had been approved by the Ministerial Board, involving an expenditure of £1.079.980. An additional 10,036 men had been granted loans for the purchase of household furniture, tools, etc., and a further 4025 had received financial assistance in oilier directions, llm amount paid l<> or on behalf of soldiers under all headings totalling £1.708.547. Repayments. Loans have been advanced to some | 16,000 discharged soldiers, and the great bulk of the men are meeting their obligations loyally. The arnonnl collected up to 31st December. 1920, on I account of loans granted totalled £403,.. i 185, and the average, monthly eollee- [ lion h now £35.000, a rale of over j £420.000 per annum. Summary of Assistance Rendered. Placed in employment . . 22,080 Trained or- in training . . 6.626 F nancially assisted .. .. 19.421 Total .. •• 48,127