IMPERIAL SUPPLIES BOARD

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 97, 17 January 1918, Page 6

IMPERIAL SUPPLIES BOARD

SOME BIG DEALS STATEMENT BY PRIME MINISTER The Prime Minister, the Eight Hon. W F Masscy, who is in charge ot the Imperial Supplies Board, which was established in 1915 to deal with exports from New Zealand needed by the United Kingdom, gave some, details of the work to Cliristchurch pressmen. He said that the total payments made by the board to date were as follow :— Mp . t 20.575,920 Cheese, H'l6-16 Cheese, 1916-17 ......... 3,29^1;* Cheese, 1917-18 »9b,62f Butter 1917-18 6.8,223 Seheel.to ,*«s™ ■\Vool 15,966.(84 Sheepskins 612,149 Hides °12,40b Freezing works, shpo wool 'i;™ 1 '"!' Other goods 'f>l,ldU

Total £-15,660,803 "This vast business, if we have the necessary shipping, facilities, said Mr Massey, "will increase during the present season, and if ships are available I expect to see an increase m the total value received of between £27-000,000 and £28,000,000!" With regard to the shipping outlook, Mr. Massey said it was good at the present- time, but no one could say in these times when a change might take place. The Prime Minister went on to say that he had received good reports of this season's' wool clip from experts. Approximately, 180..030 bales of the new season wool had been valued, and current valuations continued to be particularly heavy. It was estimated that during January and February 140 (100 and 130,000 bales respectively, would be submitted throughout tho Dominion, representing estimated payments for those months of hi. 11(10,000. Of over 500,000 bales valued during the 1916-17 season, only 35,000 remained at present unprovided with shipping Bpac-3, and it was anticipated that those bales would be shipped in the near future. The purchase of sheepskins was being continued at tho direct request of the Imperial Government, but iieffothtions now had been opened with the Imperial authorities, with a view to removing some of the anomalies under that requisition. Owing to increased cost of materials, and m l espouse to representations from tenmongers, the price for curing pelts bad been increased frcm 3s. to 3s. 9d. a dozen, and an all-round rate of -'s per lb. paid for sh'piiig wool, with a minimum of (id. per skin. Some 20,000 calfskins had been exportod to Australian tanners on behalf of the Imperial Government, and arrangements were in hand for the shipment of a further 20,000 to the same destination during the present month. .Applications bad been received from Canada for calfskins from this Dominion, but in view of Australian requirements it had not been possible to export to Canada. . It was expected that steamers loadin"- in New Zealand this month, and early in February, would reduce the carcasses of meat held in store by 500.000 freight carcasses, and leave rm hand approximately only UAOUU freight carcasses of last season s meat. \rr.-i:i'onients for the purchase of slipe wool from freezing companies worn npproac'.ir.isc finality, and a final arait of the conditions governing the purchase was being submitted to freezing companies, with a view to ascertaining whether it was now acceptable. Ihe whole of last season's dairy produce had now either been shipped, or was in course of shipment, and it was nn- ! ticinatod that the whole of last sencon's wool would bo provided for, and. as stated, only 100.000 carcasses of the old season's frozen meat left without shipping space.