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Section IV. —Financial Assistance. District Boards or Provincial Committees are empowered to grant financial assistance, to discharged soldiers, soldiers' widows, nurses, and widowed mothers as follows : — (a.) Business Loans. —It Was recognized that returned soldiers better fitted for business in a city or town than for land-settlement had a right to help by loan. Therefore provision was made for loans, not exceeding £300, to enable a man to establish a business or to purchase one. A sum of £50 is lent free of interest, and the remainder bears interest at 5 per cent, per annum. Already men have been set up in over 180 different kinds of business. As a general principle the Department, in the interests of the individual and the community alike, has to make sure that an applicant has not only the necessary experience in a business, but has also a fair prospect of success in view of the competition that he may meet. Precautions have also to be taken against loading a locality with an extra business not needed by the population. In this connection a very great amount of work has been done by the various Boards and Committees in investigating applications for business loans. Each applicant is carefully examined, the suitability and prospects of the business arc fully gone into, and the loan is not granted unless the Board is convinced that by approving it they are serving the soldier's best interests. Up to the 20th August, 1921, a total of 5,842 business loans have been granted, entailing an expenditure of approximately £1,180,000. The following list gives an idea of the remarkable diversity of businesses in which discharged soldiers have been assisted to make a start:— Accountants .. .. 12 Fancy-goods businesses .. 19 Music-teachers .. .. 0 Advertising .. .. 2 Farming* (general) .. .. 621 Newspaper-proprietors .. 8 Agencies . . .. 10 Farming (poultry) .. .. 72 Newspaper-vendors .. .. 2 Architects . . . . .. 9 Fat and skin dealers . . 4 Opticians .. .. .. 2 Artificial-limb manufacturers 3 Fibrous-plaster businesses .. 3 Oxy-aoetylene .. .. 1 Asphalting .. .. 1 Fishing businesses .. .. 201 Paperhangers and painters .. 41 Auctioneers .. .. 15 Flax-mill business .. .. 1 Patent-medicine manufacturing 1 Bacon-factories .. .. 2 Forwarding agents .. .. 20 Perambulator-makers .. 2 Bakers .'. .. .. 73 Fruit and confectionery business 157 Photographers .. .. 27 Barristers and solicitors .. 32 Fruit-growing . . .. 27 Physical oulturist .. . . 1 Basketmakers .. .. 0 Fruit-canning .. .. 1 Piano-importers •• .. 6 Bedstead-makers .. .. 1 Foundries .. . . .. 3 Picture-frame makers .. 4 Bee-farming .. .. 60 Furniture dealers and manu- Picture-theatres . . .. 13 Billiard-saloons .. .. 25 facturers.. .. .. 54 Pig-farmers .. .. 6 Blacksmiths .. .. 74 Gardening (market) .. .. 7 Plasterers .. .. .. 2 Boardinghouse and private- Gardening (nursery).. .. 12 Plumbers .. .. ..54 hotel keepers .. .. 26 Gas and range fitters .. 2 Pork-butchers .. .. 2 Boatbuildors . . .. 2 Glass-bevelling .. .. 1 Printing .. .. 27 Booksellers and stationers .. 39 Golf materials . . .. 1 Quarries .. .. . . 2 Boot-importers . . .. 30 Grain-merchants . . .. 7 Rabbiting .. .. .. 6 Boot-manufacturers .. 35 Greengrocers .. . . 3 Radiologist .. .. 1 Boot-repairers .. .. 29 Gristing-mill .. .. 1 Restaurants ..' .. 53 Boring plants .. .. 2 Grocery and general store .. 303 Saddlers .. .. 21 .Bottle-merchants .. .. ■ 2 Hairdressers and tobacconists 89 Sauce-manufacturers .. 2 Boxmaker .. .. .. 1 Hardware .. .. 20 Sawmilling .. .. 58 Brassfinishcrs .. .. 2 Hat-manufacturers .. .. 4 Schools (private) .. .. 2 Builders .. . . 87 Hauling business .. .. 12 Scoria business .. .. 3 Butchers .. . . 85 Hawking business .. .. 4 Scows .. .. . . 3 Button-manufactui ers . . 1 Heat-appliance agents .. 2 Sculptors .. .. .. 3 Buyer, island trade .. .. 1 Horse-trainers .. .. 5 Shipwrights .. .. 2 Cab-proprietor .. .. 1 Hospitals (private) .. .. 18 Sharebrokers .. .. 2 Cabinotmaking .. .. 43 Indent agents .. .. 35 Shirtmakors .. .. 3 Canteen . . . . . . 1 Insurance agents .. .. 10 Skating-rink .. . . 1 Carriers (horse) .. .. 236 [interpreter (Native) .. 1 Soap-manufacturers .. 1 Carriers (motor) .. .. 351 Ironmongers .. .. 4 Sporting outfitters .. .. 2 Chaff -cutting .. . . 47 Jam-manufacturers .. .. 1 Stock-dealer .. .. 1 Chairmaking . . .. 7 Labour agent .. .. 1 Strawberry-growing .. 2 Cheesemaking . . . . 49 Land agents .. .. 33 Stud horse .. . . 1 Chemists .. .. 35 Laundries .. .. .. 4 Surveyors .. .. .. 15 Chimney-sweeps .. .. 2 Leather-merchants .. .. 5 Swing and hammock maker .. 1 Chiropodist . . .. 2 Lighting business .. .. 1 Tailors .. .. .. 39 Coach-building . . .. 17 Lime-manufacturers .. 2 Tanner and furrier .. .. 1 Coach-painting . . . . 6 Livery and bait stables .. 11 Taxidermist . . . . 1 Coal and firewood merchants 91 Log-hauling . . . . (> Tea-merchants . . . . 5 Commercial artist .. . . 1 Luggage agents .. . . 6 Tentmaker . . .. 1 Commercial journal . . . . 1 Machinery agents .. . . 4 Threshing businesses . . 28 Concrete -construction .. 2 Mail-order business .. .. (i Tiling and slating .. .. 5 Contractors .. .. 208 Mail-service .. .. 24 Timber-merchants .. .. 5 Cool storage (fruit) . . .. 2 Manufacturers' agents . . 27 Tinware-manufacturers . . 4 Correspondence schools . . 3 Marble-bar .. . . 1 Typewriter-repairers .. 3 Customhouse agents.. .. 4 Marine dealers .. .. 4 Umbrcllamakor .. .. 1 Cycle businesses .. .. 19 Masseurs . . .. . . 8 Undertaker , .. .. 2 Dairy business and milk-veu- Meroery and soft goods .. 32 Upholsterers .. .. 3 dors .. .. 80 Merchants (general) .. 19 Vacuum-cleaners . . . . 2 Dealers .. .. .. 6 Messengers (express) .. 2 Veterinary surgeons .. 3 Drapers .. .. 28 Millinery .. .. .. 2 Vulcanizing businesses .. 22 Dentists .. .. ..35 Mineral waters and cordials Watchmakers and jewellers •■ 25 Draughtsmen . .. .. 2 manufacturing . . .. 15 Well-boring businesses .. 5 Drovers .. .. .. 3 Mining .. .. .. 6 Whaling .. .. .. 1 Doctors .. .. 34 Monumental masons .. 2 Wood-turning .. .. T Duck-farmer .. .. 1 Motor-bus service .. .. 17 Wool-dealers .. .. 6 Dwellings .. . ■ 33 Motor garage and repairs . . 177 Wool-press manufacturer .. 1 Dyers and cleaners .. .. 7 Motor-cars (taxi) .. .. 212 Wool-weaver .. .. 1 Engineering businesses .. 90 Motor-launch servico .. 31

*It will be noticed that 621 farmers have been assisted. The applications were outside the scope of the Lands Department, and in such cases the Repatriation Department considers applications for assistance up to £300 for the purchase of stock, &c.