IMPERIAL SUPPLIES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3129, 6 July 1917, Page 8

IMPERIAL SUPPLIES

QUANTITIES PUECBASED. The report of "tTIe Department of tho Imperial Uoverninent Supplies, reviewing operations covering the period from Aiareh 3, 1915, to March 31, 1317, "STE laid on the table of the House of Bcpresentatives yesterday. Tho total quantities of meat purchased during the period mentioned were:—Beef (quarters), 1,313,745; mutton (carcasses), "s",27!<auS ; lamb (carcasses), 6,928,013; other 'meat (in 60u>. carcasses), 198,611. Tho total payments for meat to March 31 amounted to .£15,800,701, distributed as under:— Auckland, .£1,899,812; .Poverty Bay, •£1,599,494; Hawke's Bay, .£1,584,561-; xaranaii, .£611,255; 'Wellington, jA'filZ,552; Marlborough, .£120,212; Nelson, •±71,072; Canterbury, Otago, .£1,193,913; Southland, £1,123,278. There are now iorty-one freezing works in operation in the Dominion. The storage capacity of tho worka has been increased within the period under review from accommodation for 2,200,000 carcasses of GOlb. to 4,400,000 carcasses. .

_ Up to March 31, 1917, tho Department had disposed of cheese purchased as uS-lows:-Season 1915-16, 189,502 crates; total payments, ,£917,748. Season 1916-17, 153,815 crates; total payments, .£1,517,408. Tho payments include advances made against cheese in. store. • There were in store on March 31, 1917, 188,400 crates awaiting shipment. The number of factories in existence in tho Dominion when the Department began ita cTi'eese purchases in October, 1915, was 381. Since then tho number has increased to 101.

From November 27, V)l6', to March 31, 1917, 19,998 cases of condensed milk .were shipped, the valne being, .-621,381. ' The Department has paid out on account of wool to March 81, 1917, w£9,315,-921-for 399,529 bales. - The total disbursements of the, Department from March 3, 1915, to March 31, 1917, wore as follow.—On account of tho Imperial Government, J57,731,525. On account of the Dominion Government, ,£87,591.