DEFENCE COMMISSION.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16208, 10 May 1918, Page 5

DEFENCE COMMISSION.

(fbess association telegram.)

WELLINGTON. May 9. Before the Defence Expenditure Commission to-day, H. E._ Manning, builder and contractor, of "Wellington, said ho considered that there was a combine in "Wellington running the wliore fittingout of the transports. The Minister was right out to seo the thing to the bottom. Most of the Government goods had been supplied by a certain Wellington firm, which had been making a very good thing out of it. "Witness alleged that there liad been some waste of the timber ordered for troopship work. Lieutenant-Colonel T. W. McDonald, of the General Staff, Wellington Military District, was also examined. He emphasised the fact that both partlytrained Territorials and untrained civilians were put on the same level in training, and that a Territorial with, (several years' training was squadded with wholly untrained men, and told that he must forget all t,hat he had previously learned. He gave details to show tha£ exclusive of bombing and anti-gas practicOj the training of New Zealand " Territorials and men in camp need only be forty-four days. The . estimated loss which resulted from unnecessarv time taken up by training in New Zealand was —Territorials £326,400, civilians £173,-600, making a total of £600,000. The loss to the community, by reason of these men being taken from productive labour, he estimated at ! £500,000, making a total loss _per anj sum of £1,000,000, or a total since the ' war began of £3,000,000. He contend--1 ed that the establishment of camps was . excessive. Witness submitted a schedule showing a loss of over £2,000,C00, which the country had suffered thrbugh lack of organisation, co-ordination, and supervision in New Zealand, v There •was a waste of ammunition used by Cadets, who were supplied with cartridges costing £8 per thousand, instead of cartridges costing 255. When he made a suggestion once he was told to mind his own business. Other suggestions were ignored.