WASTE OF MONEY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 168, 18 July 1941, Page 2

WASTE OF MONEY

IMPRESSED VEHICLES I.KI T OITSIDK IX WEATHER (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Rei>orter.) WELLINGTON, this day. Strong criticism of the impressment of vehicles policy was expressed by the Leader of the Opposition. Mr. Holland, in opening the Budget debate in the House of Representatives last night. "The public makes no complaint about any legitimate costs incurred in our war effort," he said, "but they do object to having their money wasted." There was no worse example of scandalous waste of public money than in the recent impressment of motor vehicles, he said. After the expenditure of thousands of pounds in repainting these vehicles they wore used for a few weeks and wore now being left outside unprotected from the weather and were rapidly deteriorating.

Mr. Holland said that a far better scheme had been adopted for the impressment of horses, under which owners were paid a nominal sum and wore required to maintain their horses in good condition and have thorn available at short notice. This scheme should have been applied to motor vehicles.

In reply. the Minister of Supply. Mr. Sullivan, said the impressment that had taken place was a job that had to be done because, if there was one thing that had to be carried out m Now Zealand, it was armv manoeuvres. There had certainly been considerable inconvenience to the public and sacrifices had been made. Ihe total number of vehicles 1 equired in New Zealand for mobilisation was 0000. Impressment had called up 15G0. Others had been ordered and more would be impressed if mobilisation were made necessary by an emergency. The vehicles taken could not. he said, be returned to civil use because it had taken u month to mobilise one quarter or the army's full requirements. and obviously that, amount of time would not. he available if the country was invaded.