WAR MATERIALS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 September 1940, Page 6

WAR MATERIALS

ALL DELAYS ELIMINATED CANADIAN PROCEDURE. FEATURE OF COUNTRY'S EFFORT. OTTAWA. “No cumbersome routine, red tape, or other needless delays retard the purchase of Canadian war materials,” stated the Hon C. D. Howe. Minister of Munitions and Supply* “The speed with which we are placing orders ■ better than one every 21 minutes of the working day—makes any such delays an impossibility,” he said. Questioned regarding the length of time required to place each order, the Minister said that recently the Department of Munitions and Supply had received at 12.45 p.m. a requisition for the immediate purchase in the United States of material to the value of 1,000,000 dollars. “By 2 p.m.,” said Mr Howe, “this sum had been deposited in a New York bank, and work on the order started immediately." “The vast majority ■of all orders,” continued Mr Howe, “are placed within 24 hours to one week of the time the requisition to purchase is received by the Department. Not infrequently we have been able to anticipate war needs and when requisitions are received the producers have the goods on hand ready for delivery.” Mr Howe stated that no private or business organisation in Canada has ever bought more expeditiously or economically than the purchasing agents he has assembled, chiefly from private business, in his organisation. “Private business has not at its disposal the many facilities and resources for expeditious action which are at the disposal of the Department of Munitions and Supply," he said. “Speedy purchasing has been achieved without sacrificing in any way.” said Mr Howe, “the other basic considerations affecting each purchase which we make. These include the insistence on designs and qualities of goods suited to military and other needs. the development of a delivery schedule in keeping both with the national need and the resources of Canadian industry; and the tender system and other methods employed to assure that our purchases on behalf of the people of Canada are made on the lowest possible price basis." While the rapidly expanding munitions programme involves purchases of the greatest magnitude, the growth of the operations of the Department is also exemplified by some of the smaller items required in expansion of the Canadian defence programme. For example, purchases of this nature include 300.000 R.C.A.F. buttons and 100.000 disinfecting cloths for use with gas masks. Some of the other orders for small items today include 700 sets of false teeth. 456 anchors. 90 gallons of mosquito oil and 10 000 units each of smallpox vaccine and meningitis antitoxin. Other orders include such things as 30.000 cubic feet of acetylene, 30,000 cubic feet of oxygen. 25.000 cooks aprons, 90.000 flannel shirts. 144 old car wheels. The order has also been placed for one year's supply of all the automotive spare parts required for the Second Division and its ancillary troops. Keeping step with the growth of the joint, air training plan, facilities to be provided for students include such equipment as school desk chairs with writing tablet on the right hand side. The order has just been placed for' another 500 of these chairs.