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27

Field Transport. The carting of all supplies, stores, &c, at headquarters of districts, Wellington, and Expeditionary Force, camps is carried out by the, New Zealand Army Service Corps. Since the last report mechanical transport has been installed at Auckland and Hanmer, and the Department has now some thirty lorries and cars in use. At Wellington, where the carting is very great, mechanical transport only will be used in future. Far better results are being obtained than by horse transport. Field Cooking. Field cookers were used, supplemented by trench cooking. Field Bakeries. The Army Service Corps bakeries established at Trentham and Featherston Camps continue to supply the bread for these camps. The quality of the bread is excellent. The following gives the quantity of bread produced, and cost of same :—

This cost of production is based on all expenditure, including cost of buildings. There is no doubt that the establishment of these bakeries has been the means of saving the Department some thousands of pounds, whilst at all times ensuring ample supplies of most excellent bread. Supplies for New Zealand Expeditionary Force, England. During the period Ist April, 1918, to 31st May, 1919, the following supplies were shipped to England for use of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the United Kingdom : Peas, 84,124 lb. ; haricot beans, 99,425 lb. ; bacon, 291,817 lb. ; ' jam, 700,068 lb. ; sugar,' 887,040 lb. ; oatmeal, 225,0001b.; condensed milk, 773,088 tins; preserved meat, 268,8001b.; flour, 524,0501b.; butter. 224,0001b.; cheese, 11.4,640 lb. ; tea, 36,4811b.; matches, 1,200 gross boxes; sweets, assorted, 7,952 lb. ; biscuits, mixed, 14,293 lb. , tinned fruit, 33,280 tins ; tobacco, Havelock, 6,060 lb. These supplies were purchased through the Munitions and Supplies Department, the Army Service Corps taking delivery and being responsible, for the, quality of all supplies delivered. These supplies have been landed in England at a very much less cost than the rates ruling there, and as a consequence the cost of maintenance of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in England has.been materially decreased, and the rations there augmented. The supplies sent are all of first quality, and, though shipments have been going on for the past three years and a half, the reports received on the outturn of the supplies have been satisfactory. The sending of supplies to England ceases from the end of June. VETERINARY SERVICES AND REMOUNTS. During the year the work of this branch of the service has been very much reduced in volume as a result of the cessation of shipments of remounts, due to lack of shipping facilities. The Remount Depot previously established at Upper Hutt was closed on the Bth April, 1918, and its personnel transferred to Tauherenikau, where a small Remount Depot was established for the purpose of dealing with remount work in connection with the training-camps. In November, 1918,. on the breaking-up. of these training-camps, steps were taken to wind up the work of the Remount Depot, and to dispose of the horses which had been used for training purposes in the camps. At the sales held for this purpose 287 horses were sold, and these realized an average price of £13 10s., which in the circumstances was very satisfactory, seeing that many of the riding-horses were showing the effects of the hard work entailed by training purposes on the stony ground in the neighbourhood of the Featherston Camp. At the outbreak of war no recognized Remount Depot existed, and consequently one had to be brought into being. It was. first established at Palmerston North, on the Showgrounds, which were kindly lent for the, purpose by the Agricultural and Pastoral Association, but was shortly afterwards transferred to Upper Hutt, where it remained until, as above stated, it .was finally established at Tauherenikau. During the period of the war the total number of horses passing through the depot was 9,347. It should be noted that at the first mobilization temporary depots were established at Christchurch and Dunedin, and a number of the horses belonging to the Main Expeditionary Force were dealt with at those depots only. Of the 9,347 horses dealt with at the central depot, 5,097 were riding-horses and 4,250 artillery and transport horses. The average price paid for riding-horses was £17 Is. 10d., and for artillery and transport horses £24 10s. In addition

Camp. Bread produoed. Total Cost. Cost- per 4 |h. Trentham Featherston . . lb. £ s. d. 2,943,400 22,213 16 0 3.516,414 25,448 1 II d. 7-380 6-944 Total 6,459,814 47,661 17 II 7-080 I ;