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IMPERIAI SUPPLIES

A GREAT UNDERTAKING

OVER £700,000,000 SPENT IN

NEJV ZEALAND

The work of the Department of Imperial Government Supplies is the subject of aiTinteiesting booklet that hns been issued by the Government Printing Office. "Foodships for Britain 1 is the title of the volume, which has been written •and compiled by Mr.' Will Lawson. It explains the system under which over £70,000,000 worth of New •Zealand produce have been bought by the Government on account of the_ Imperial authorities, shows the provision mado for the collection, storage, and shipment of the produce, and traces the manifold ramifications of the scheme administered by the Imperial Supplies Department. The volume is lull of interest, and of romance, too, and its eighty pages contain many illustrations. • . "Second in importance to the response of New Zealand in man-power, says the Prime Minister in a foreword, "comes what she lias been able to do in providing food and other essential supplies for the Empire's needs. Since 1915 the Imperial requisition of meat, wool, butter, cheese, hides, skins; and other produce amounts in the aggregate to £70.000,000. This is an enormous sum of. money. It lias passed to the producers and, through them, has filtered down to every section of the community.- It has enabled New Zealand to do her share in the war; but it has to be remembered, having recard to the scarcity of shipping, that lad the Imperial purchases not been mado it would have been impossible to nave attained this result. This little volume is intended to give our people some idea of what New Zealand has done up to the present m the production of food and other supplies, the administration of winch is under the control of the Imperial Government Supplies Department. . In a letter to the Prime Minister, Mr Harold Beauchamp, chairman or directors of the Bank of New Zealand, commends the volume _ warmly. 1 congratulate you on having taken this effective means to bring prominently under the notice of the public the great, work achieved by the Imperial Government Supplies Department It line been excellently administered from its initiation, and reflects the greatest credit upon all connected with it. lou may remember that in my capacity as chairman of the Bank of New Zealand I addressed to you a long dum as far back as September 21, 1914, in which I mado certain suggestions as to what should be done by the Government to assist producers and traders during-the currency of the war. Inter alia, I said :— With regard to the advances required to finance the produce accumulations prior to shipment, ■ these would, in all probability, amount to a larger sum than the banks would be disposed to grant on the security of the produco alone; and it has been suggested it would be a reasonable thing that the Government should guarantee the banks against any loss that may result on realisation of 'the produce against which they may made advances pending . shipment. It is suggested that any such guaranteed advances should be made only against produco. in slpres that Jiavo been approved of by tho Government. The amount of the advance to be approved of by tho Government— e."., in tho case of butter and cheese. The rate per pound to be advanced would be fixed by the. Government, and the produce, when stored, would he insured to at least the full amount of such advance. Should a deficiently i«- , suit upon realisation of any produce held against a guaranteed advance, tho amount of the deficiency paid by the Government under its* advances guarantee to be made a first chargo upon the whole estate of the borrower—that is to say. the Government's claim against every borrower's estate should bevmade preferential, subject, of course, to pre-existing register conditions. "Fortunately, through your Government being able to arrange with the Imperial Government to commandeer tho bulk of our primary products, at' such excellent prices, it was not necessary to take further action in respect to 'the matters I brought under your notice. ... In an address delivered to Southland ■ farmers, a speaker strongly opposed, the proposal to continue the commandeer beyond three months after the closing of the war, and made the astounding statement 'that under present arrangements producers are receiving £7,650,000 per annum less for their wool-than they ought to do, and that on the meat purchase scheme they .. were losing £8,525.000 besides—in fact, tVy were £16,000,000 out of pocket, Which sum they were mainly conceding, to profiteers to the dptriment of the Imperial authorities and the consumers.' When one considers that our exports have increased in value to the extent of eleven to twelve millions per annum, over and above pre-war prices, it is difficult to rotfiito there" shrink! be anybody in this country prepared to accept such a statement as that, referred to above. I repeat, therefore, it was wise and prutlent to place before the Dominion what has been done to assist producers and traders by the creation of the Imperial Supplies Department."

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19181021.2.41

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 22, 21 October 1918, Page 6

Word count
Tapeke kupu
837

IMPERIAI SUPPLIES Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 22, 21 October 1918, Page 6

IMPERIAI SUPPLIES Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 22, 21 October 1918, Page 6

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