SELLING THE WAR STORES

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 73, 27 March 1920, Page 17

SELLING THE WAR STORES

FROM BATTLESHIPS TO EGG , CUPS. AEROPLANES IN JOB LOTS. Two complete batlcships, half a dozen submarines, Dandley-Page and De Havi-; land aeroplanes, 50,000,000 rounds of i ball cartridges, guns, aerial bombs, pistols, a paddle steamer, a train ferry| capable of carrying thirty-nine 10-ton j wagons, a road bridge complete and| locomotives arc but a few of the many varied articles ottered by the British Ministry of Munitions in what is without doubt the biggest sale in history. The catalogue of goods is a romance' in itself. Brought out as a bi-monthly > magazine, it is issued officially by the| Ministry under the title of the "Sur-j plus," lit threepence a copy, each number taking up something over 190 pages of printed matter. Only a cursory glance is necessary to realise, apart from the usual supply of equipment, ammunition and foodstuffs, what a tremendous commercial undertaking modern war has developed. During the war the Ministry of Munitions acted as a sort of general stores to supply millions of fighting troops on all fronts, from France to India, the North Sea to the Suez Canal. No item, however small, was too inconsequent, no item on too tremendous a scale to be included in these wonderful stores. WHOLE CAMP FOR SALE. The Ministry was solely responsible for the supply of army huts, building [material and factories, machinery, maiehine tools and engineering stores, array I boots, water craft, textiles, chemicals and metals, foodstuffs and motor vehiicles, and so on ad infinitum. In the fifteenth issue of "Surplus" published on the first day of the new year and announced as "the official organ of the surplus Government Property Disposal Board," there are no ! fewer than nineteen sections of different classes of material to be disposed of. i The Admiralty are offering floating docks, yachts, trawlers, drifters, steam whalers, salvage steamers, motor launches, coastal motor boats and old naval, steam, sailing and pulling boats. I One "item" offered for sale is the entire Milford military camp. This lot includes regimental institutes and dining rooms, medical inspection and hospital jhuts, a timber built motor garage; altogether about 400 huts, buildings and j stable erections. In this case, purchase j can be made either by private offer or 1 public tender. Another item is the ■ Biggin Hill aerodrome, complete with builders' plant and materials, including 50 carbis flares, 60 .hurricane lamps, 12 stone forks, diaphragm pumps, etc. At the other end of the scale, there are all kinds of furniture trom a galvanised washbowl to an oak wardrobe, and a portable cast iron copper with removable pan to an egg cup, chairs, couches and butter dishes. Even so humble an article as brown paper is included in this wonderful catalogue. •Humble household commodities are j equally plentiful. About 4,355 tin 9 of | chicken broth are for sale, together with I pork and beans, maplemeat and half pound packets of fruitarian cake. j STILL USEFUL AS FIGHTERS. ■ The obsolete warships for sale are i battleships Jupiter and Exmouth. both of which craft played their part in the ! anti-submarine patrol in the great war. As the Ministry of Munitions tactfully suggests, failing purchase for some private little war or other, they might prove very useful for scrapping or eon-

With the battleships are offered the British submarines A-4, one of the earlier class —A-G, A-12 and C-2, five torpedo boats, the destroyer Dove and the old war vessels Pembroke and Firebrand, now lying at Chatham. ' Purchasing a battleship or two is not so complicated a matter us most people would imagine. After filling up a form and supplying the necessary check, the ship is the buyer's to do what he likes ! with. I Again, if the purchaser requires a factory complete with railway sidings it (can be supplied, for there are no fewer [than nineteen for 6ale in various parts !of the country. The Ministry have a round dozen of aerodromes on their hands. j A coastguard station in Dorset, overlooking Weymouth Bay, is on offer. Then there are huts and buildings in j forty-seven districts. } There are bridges, hydraulic presses, aU kinds of plants and machinery, steam engines, petrol tractors, about 120 different kinds of tradesmen's tools, textile goods, civilian overcoats and suits, leather goods, medical goods, furniture, etc., for sale.