WAR EXPENDITURE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 June 1943, Page 2

WAR EXPENDITURE

SAFEGUARDS AGAINST EXTRAVAGANCE STATEMENT BY MR HAMILTON. LIBERTY LOAN APPEAL. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. As Minister in Charge of War Expenditure, the Hon. A. Hamilton, a member of the War Cabinet, Naturally devoted some attention in his statement tonight on Liberty Loan to the aspect of control over war expenses. Most people, when appealed to for money, he said, would ask two questions! (1) What is the money needed for? and (2) Is the expenditure subject to reasonable supervision and checks? Mr Hamilton suggested that people did not mind providing money urgently required for the war if they could be assured that no unnecessary or extravagant expenditure took place. “For some months,” he continued, “I have been associated with those whose duty it is to see that that suggested war expenditure is justified and that the system of doing the work and spending the money is reasonably saftguarded: I am not going to say that no extravagance or waste has occurred, particularly in early stages, when the organisation was not so complete as it is today, and when immediate action was the Prime consideration, but I do say that reasonably effective safeguards are now in operation.” Mr Hamilton explained that all proposals involving financial commitments were reported on by the Treasury and then submitted for the War Cabinet’s review. Then, after the expenditure has been made, another Treasury review takes place, to ensure that the terms of the War Cabinet’s approval has been adhered to, that the prices are right and that necessary accounting and stores records have been properly completed. Finally there is the AuditorGeneral’s review and his custom of reporting annually direct to Parliament any special features to which he wishes to draw attention.

Mr Hamilton urged the duty of using idle money for war finance and to those who had no idle money declared that it was their duty to draw on their credit to make a reasonable- contribution. “Let us remember our good fortune with gratitude,” he said, “and contribute our maximum amount to the Liberty Loan.”