The Daily News. TUESDAY, JULY 10, 1917. OUR COMMANDEERED SUPPLIES.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 July 1917, Page 4

The Daily News. TUESDAY, JULY 10, 1917. OUR COMMANDEERED SUPPLIES.

As affording an idea of what the Dominion is doing to assist the Imperial authorities by way of food and wool, the report of the Department's activities ns recently presented to the House of Representatives is well worthy of attention. It covers a period of over two years, from March 3, 1016, to March 31, 1917, with an appendix which shows results up to June 30 of the current year. The magnitude of the operations may be gathered from the fact that the total disbursements amount to nearly thirtyfour millions sterling, tho whole of which goes into the pockets of our producers. In the case of meat, payment is made within twenty-four hours of the receipt of shipping documents, and the amount paid out reached the huge iium of £17,301.003. The wool transaction i:i the biggest of its kind, representing a value of over twelve millions, no less than 4'82,704 bales of wool having been dealt with, Taranaki's cut out of wool totalled £132,003, (Poverty Bay ov e r a million, IlamUe's Bay nearly two million, Wellington over two million arid a half, Canterbury and Otago combined being about the same as Wellington, while Wanganui's portion exceeds half a million. \ glance at tho following items will show the business done with the Imperial Government:-

Meat, March 3, 1915 17,8 ft] .00.1 Cheese, 1015-I*s 1)17,748 Cheese, 1916-17 '2.S;il,f).u Wool, Dec. 1, 10.10 11,H3,!U.-, Scheelite, Sept. 20, IUIS 75.!)(!!) Sheep skina, Feb. 5. 1917 ... 1!1.'i,!)55 'Hides, March li). 11*17 202,832 Freezing Co.'s slipe wool, March 31. 19-17 1,014.41 I Other business 1311,30:) Total £33,577,514 The work thrown upon the now department of the State in dealing with these supplies and valuing the' wool has been very heavy, though the latter work was carried out by specially appointed valuers, who were all overseas buyers, five hundred and eighty-eight valuations being made at all the various points where wool was receivable. It is interesting to note that the Doiuiiuot wej-

age price per Ibnle was £22 as lOd, though the Taranaki average was only £2O Is. The following extract from the report gives an insight into the .work involved : "The Department of Imperial Government Supplies has as far as practicable endeavored to constitute itself an intelligence (bureau for the collection and distribution of information relating to those,, matters with which it has been concerned. . ■. . From the inauguration of the 'Department in March. lO'lS, the duties of all the officers connected with the Department have been of a particularly strenuous character. At the outset no organisation or mnchinerv existed which could have bora utilised to carry out the ibusincss arrangements of the activities which the Department set out to control. The organisation has had to toe built up and the staff added to from time to lime as new responsibilities were attached to the Department. The policy of the Department has been to conduct its business on commercial lines, with a free utilisation of modern methods and mechanical appliances essential to systematically and commercially handling business of such .large dimensions, so that the fullest measure of efficiency might be obtained." . As evidence of the prosperity of the Dominion and the extent of the profits made out of war business this report is conclusive. In addition to the produce mentioned above purchases of other produce have been made for the Imperial Government, such as condensed milk and kauri gum, while the butter output is left out of consideration. The producers have every reason to ibe gratified at being on such a good wicket, and though the ibutter-fat levy has created irritation, looking at the general welfare of the community, the times have been remarkably good, and the Government deserves credit for its administration of this new department of State activities.