GOVERNMENT SUPPLIES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 52, 4 March 1915, Page 4

GOVERNMENT SUPPLIES.

With all great concern and the outlaying of vast sums of money thre is nearly always some waste, extravagance or mismanagement. The prosent war gives many opportunities for such, and to this a London paper thus refers: A short time ago we made the suggestion that it would be well for the War Office to invite the co-operation of a body of experienced business men as an advisory hoard in the matter of securing supplies for government purposes, and we have snce had brought to our notice a couple of instances which surely seem to support our idea. We learn that a certain liner, being no longer fit for duty, was offered for sale as 'scr ap," the limit being fixed at £ls.ooo,—which brought no buyers. War having been declared, the Admiralty required sundry old hulks, whch, filled with cement, stones, etc, were to be used for

blocking harbors and such like pur. ! poses. The said ancient mariner being quite suitable for that purpose (about the only thing she was suitable for), she promptly changed hands at the enhanced figure of £20,000, 01- an advance on the owners' original limit of 33 per cent! The other instance in regard to stretchers for the army in the field, two of { which were recently returned to the contractors, because in one case the said article was about a quarter of an inch narrower than the specified width, and in the other the handles were not of precisely the same shade of colour—and the R.A.M.C axe calling out for more material. . . . There is a lot of this country's money being thrown away at present in a quite unnecessary manner, and there are plenty of experienced men, who, debarred by age and other reasons from serving their country in the field, axe yet willing and anxious to servo hef in a very practical and commonsenso manner by placing their ime and their experience at the disposal of those at the head of affairs.