NO PROFITEERING

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 98, 18 January 1918, Page 6

NO PROFITEERING

IN MUNITIONS AND SUPPLIES QUARTER OF A MILLION SAVED "AVe have saved a quarter of a million if we have saved a shilling," said the Hon. A. M. Myers, Minister ot Munitions, in tho course of a talk yesterday about tho work of his Department since ho lias had charge of it. This was not his first remark on the subject. Mr. Myers was speaking at the time of tho great assistance he had received in tho working of his business from the experts who have ticcn assisting him from tho beginning, and in this connection he mentioned specially Mr. Morrison and Mr. S. Kirkcaldie. Ho considered that tho help of these two gentlemen had been invaluable to him and to the State. As a result of their supervision of purchases and manufactures the New Zealand soldier was oeing supplied with clothing the material of which compared more than favourably with that of any other soldiers at the front. Considerable savings had been made by the purchase of large quantities of supplies in advance of requirements. Some of the commodities, such as linings, cottons, and buttons, had become extremely difficult to obtain since tho time that the purchases were made, so that the early buying of large quantities had not only ensured that this country would have enough of these things, hut had ensured that we should have them at a moderate cost.

Speaking of contracts, and the manner in which the manufacturers were fulfilling their obligations, Mr. Myers said that ho was satisfied that there was no activity in the country in which there was less profiteering than in the manufacture of munitions and supplies. Occasionally there were matters of detail to which the attention of contractors had to be called, but not for a long time had there been any breach of contract, or discovery of anything approaching dishonest workmanship. Replying to a question, Mr. Myers admitted that he thought the stern measures taken at tho outset against those manufacturers who were attempting to supply inferior' clothing or other goods to the soldiers had had a salutary effect.