MUNITIONS AND SUPPLIES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 164, 5 April 1919, Page 2

MUNITIONS AND SUPPLIES

DEPARTMENT CLOSED DOWN

REVIEW OF WORK DONE

The termination of the work of the Munitions and Supplies Department on March 31 is an opportune time to :e----view what has been achieved by business men in the way of aiding the Defence Department economically, to obtain it* hugo supplies without fail. The Hon. Arthur Myers, who has been in charge of this, special War Department during the whole of its activities, states that approximately .£4,500,0qf) has been expended by it in procuring slon'S for military purposes. The whole of tins sum, representing an annual turnover ol .£1300,000, has been handled without, a ease of fraud, although in tho inception tlw Minister had in a few instances to. inflict fines where specifications had i ot been faithfully executed, amounting in ono case to i2OOO. The Minister stated that early in the war there was an insistent demand lot Now Zealand to take some active part in tlis manufacture of munitions. On. the question being submitted to a committeft of engineers, 'however, an unfavourable report was received, in which Cabinet concurred, recognising that the Dominion would bo of greater service if she directed all her energies towards sending troops fully equipped, and carrying en such important industries as freezing works," dairying, etc., which were most essential for the maintenance of .nod supplies to the troops -and the Mother Country. Therefore tho Department.energies wero wholly devoted to Jhe question of supplies.-: To meet this need it was agreed between tho Minister of Defence and the Minister 'in .Charge of Munitions and Supplies .that the former, on the .cue hand.-'should undertake the duty : ot ■specifying.the kind of goods required, alio of stating tho time and place 6uch goods were needed; -whiNt the latter.was.to assume responsibility for all- purchases made, the further nndemanding being that on delivery. <>t the goods to the Defence .Department (ho Minister of that Department-_ would take control and custody of them for the purpose of'distribution. This arrangement has been strictly.adhered to, i>ml •has-resulted.in this Department arranging for the purchase and delivery, mt» the hands of the Defence authorities ot very large quantities of goods and n«jterials made in New Zealand, ot wlrn.li the following are the principal:- - Equipment: Socks, 3(1-1,000; umbvShirtv 294,200; underpants 28/.OM, blankets.-274,000; working shirts, 24W100, b00t5,,232,000; trousers 210,000; jacket*. 213,100; puttee* 130.000; hats, W/flo. greatcoats, 120,000: ]«rseys, 100,000, cholera', belts, 100,000; "ho""*'** 39,000; shoes, 07.200; puggarees, 88.010 , forage caps, 83,000; pantaloons, 2<,MO; %taW"F«h meat, 10»11,; breatl, 2,187,0001b.;. sugar, 6,030,000 b., I flour, 9,'020.0001b.; butter, 4,150.00 b.; ,jam, 3,409.0(10111. i cheese, *.» ■• oatmeal, l,M5,0001b;« S h.milk, 704, 0 gals.; caudles, 252,0001b.; coffee, 110.0001b. Forage:' Oats, 170,000 sacks; chaff, -fflu tons; straw, 2390 tons; hay, 1308 tons; bran, 390 tons. . . , , Other important activities connected with trade during war-time, were attended to by the Department. There was tho all-important coal distribution question. The control over deliveries of pel.vo. which was exercised by •co-operating with the Board of Trade, also occasioned important work connected-with the existing shipping-situation to be taken.in hand by the Department.. With this and; other, matters the small branch created for the purpose was fully and unceasingly occupied during its short existence. The embargo placed on the export ot many commodities from the United lung dom'during the war t-uspcnded many on, torprises in New Zealand. But it is a matter for congratulation that, the representations of tho Department m so many cases of national-, importance pro*duce'd good results, and minimised, .tit" expected' detrimental -effect of- the embargo in .that' nnd in other countries. Beneficial arrangements were also negotiated bv the office with shipping companies, whereby • the Government wan able to influence the employment of tonrni.re to -the best national advantage, without ,assnniing the control ofj tlie ships arid all responsibilities incident *", such action.-

Tlio matter of handling business concerning applications in preferential space on the limited shipping coming from Australia to New Zealand is one which has required careful handling. 'Business people generally have appreciated this-by their forbearance in pressing claims for space under the present difficult conditions. An improvement of shipping'facilities'in this direction is an important thing to New Zealand, and, as a consequence, since the armistice, every effort has been made to release more tonnage for this service. Up to. date, the improvement has not been very noticeable on account of the need for coal supplies, but, even'so; some measure of improvement-would have been observed had 1 not the influenza epidemic so completely disorganised flapping. There is now a welcome prospect of improvement, which it is trusted'will materialise in the near future.

The need for dealing with priority permits has now entirely ceased. When the work was at its 1 eight, it constituted a-very busv branch cf the Department. Orders to the total >'alue of ,£5,000,000 were dealt with bv iilis branch, made up of .£3,300,000 United Kingdom, .£1,1(10,000 United States t.f America,- .£IIO,OOO Australia, ,£130,(100 Canada, and .£BO,OOO India.

Towards the end c.f 1818, .when tne position of military stocks was fully reviewed, it was found that the Defence Department had no surplus clothing or stores to dispose of; l.owever, consumable commodities to the approximate value of <£3G,00u were not needed. When the armistice was cigiied, the Department was committed to incompleted contracts, to the value >f. XHf>,floO.. These commitments were cancelled at a total cost by way of compensation amounting to Xli'2, and by taking over from coiltractors goods useful to the military authorities to tho vnlue of '..£32,01X1. No non-consumable surplus stock now remains on hand for sale.. A surplus stock of consumable goods to the value ol .£0538 has been disposed of at a net loss oi. cost of ,£2772. Goods to the value of ,£7864 were disposed of V.y the Department direct to buyers and a net loss on cost of .£2012 was incurred, while in respect of the goods to the value of I\l7Gfi, which were rut vp fot auction, in reßpmw to numerous requests, only ,£172.1 worth were sold, realising a loss on cost ol ,£'7oo.

11l roinul figures iho .Munitions anil Supplies Department has cost about .£IS. 7 000. being an average annual cost of JJSOOO, a'very economical expenditure for the services" received. In. this connection ft is well to reiivinber that the economy in exnondifure nis Ijeen Jarpely due ■to valuable services gratuitously rendered by the advisors end experts who natritrfically associated themsolves"with the Minister.,