H.—30

2

In addition to this, honorary committees have been established at the following places throughout the country : — Auckland.—Cambridge, Dargaville, Kaitaia, Opotiki, Paeroa, Taumarunui, Tauranga, Te Aroha, Te Awamutu, Thames, Waihi, Whangarei, Ohura, Morrinsville, Coromandel, Helensville, Otorohanga, Pukekohe, Whakat.ane, Kawakawa, Matakohe, Rawene, Te Kuiti, Whangaroa, Matamata. Wellington.—Dannevirke, Eltham, Hawera, Levin, Marton, Motueka, Ohakune, Pahiatua, Patea, Stratford, Tailiape, Waipukurau, Woodville, Feilding, Waipawa, Wairoa, Bull's, Hunterville, Waitara, Opunake, Takapau, Tokomaru, Picton. Canterbury.—Ashburton, Fairlie, Hokitika, Kaikoura, Reefton, Rangiora, Temuka, Waimate, Westport, Geialdine. Otago.—Clyde, Gore, Roxburgh, Balclutha, Lawrence, Queenstown. The Department would again acknowledge and heartily thank the various Boards and Committees for their loyal and strenuous work, which has proved of the greatest assistance in carrying on the work of the Department. BENEFITS PROVIDED EOR DISCHARGED SOLDIERS. Under the Repatriation Act and the instructions issued in connection therewith a wide range of assistance is available to discharged soldiers. This assistance may be summarized under three main headings, viz. : — 1. Employment.—The placing in suitable employment of all discharged soldiers who apply to the Department for assistance in that direction. 2. Training.—The educational and vocational training of discharged soldiers and soldiers' widows. 3. Financial Assistance.- —The granting of financial assistance to discharged soldiers for the purpose of purchasing or establishing businesses, obtaining furniture, tools of trade, equipment, &c. Section I.—Employment. In our last report, issued in August, 1919, it was mentioned that men were at that time being discharged from the New Zealand Expeditionary Force at the rate of six thousand per month, and it was anticipated that the task of placing the large number of applicants in congenial employment (many of them capable of doing only light work) would severely test the organization of the Department. Happily we are now in a position to report that, although since that date a further 11,519 men have been returned to the Dominion and have been discharged, the Department has successfully coped with the light-employment, problem, and has succeeded in placing applicants in suitable positions. The measure of success attained by the various Employment Committees and departmental officers throughout the Dominion may be gauged from the fact that the number awaiting employment (shown as only 438 in the last annual report) decreased appreciably month by month as from that date, and has not at any time during the past six months exceeded 180, which is considerably less than an ordinary week's placement. Since its inception the Department has placed a total of 18,051 men; and the following table gives an indication of the number absorbed by the various groups of industry in each of the four districts :—

—— I, Group. Auckland. | Wellington. Canterbury. Otago. Total. 1. Wood, furniture, timber, &c. .. .. 312 391 236 200 1,139 2. Engineers, metal-workers .. .. 373 568 231 274 1.446 3. Food, tobacco, &c. .. .. .. 145 204 194 90 633 4. Clothing, boots, &c. .. .. 105 205 142 113 565 5. Books, printing, &c. .. .. .. 94 92 96 44 326 6. Other manufacturing- .. .. 202 136 210 96 644 7. Building .. .. .. ■. 228 262 200 74: 764 8. Mining and quarrying .. . . 69 106 187 68 430 9. Rail and tram services .. .. 79 217 174 107 577 10. Other land transport .. .. 196 224 221 92 733 11. Shipping, wharf labour, &c. .. .. 65 105 122 58 350 12. Pastoral, agriculture, &c. .. .. 521 1,176 475 395 2,567 13. Domestic, hotels, &c. .. .. 169 32.1 163 79 732 14. General labour and miscellaneous .. 932 1,488 996 676 4,092 15. Clerical 294 509 299 205 1.307 16. Government .. .. .. 347 747 268 384 1,746 Totals 4,131 6,751 4,214 2,955 18,051