WAR EXPENDITURE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2551, 27 August 1915, Page 5

WAR EXPENDITURE

COMPREHENSIVE STATEMENT . £3,500,000 TO JUNE 30 RELIEF AND OTHER FUNDS • References to the war expenditure of the Government were made as follow in the Financial Statement read by the Finance Minister in the House last night: — During the year the war expenditure brought to .account amounted to £2,171,835, while the' liabilities at that date were estimated at £596,710 in addition. The following are the particulars .£ s. d. Advertising, printing, office equipment, etc. 4,219 5. 5 Canteens • 16,097 8 8 Clerical assistance 4,371 4 2 Camps,- recruiting, and expensesof 116,964 8 9. Equipment, including purchase of boots, clothing, G.S: wagons, ammunition '•' i. carts,. etc. 274,080 2 5 Forago 46,596 8 7 Home defence, forts, harbour patrols, examination of steamers, .guarding cables, wireless stations, railway pickets, censors 116,945 10 8 Mechanical transport, including motor-cars, bicycles,oil for motors, etc 6,325 4 5 Pay and allowances ... 490,845 10 4 Postage, telegrams, etc.. 2,531 14 7 Medical equipment; including hospital ■ sleeping suits, . field hospitals and ambulances, surgical instruments, comforts, etc. 17,741 0 6 Purchase of horses and expenses incidental thereto . 105,692 11 5 Prisoners of war ....... -10,808 18 5 Rations 134,959 10 6 Transport of troops, including . charter of steamers, meals, and fares "of men travelling; to join, freight, cartage, etc. 797,138 8.10 Travelling allowances and expenses 2,122 1 2 Administrative Samoasundry expenses, which may be recoverable from Administration ...... 1,727 0 9 Donations transferred to Countess'of Liver- / pool Fund • '..... 245 9= 3 Superannuation .. 2,423 17 0 2,151,835 15 10 Appropriation. , Act, 1914, Section''2s (Belgian relief) 20,000 0 0 . £2,171,835 15 10 The actual expenditure for war purposes up to June 30," inclusive of liabilities, .is .estimated at, roushjv, £3,500,000. ' Cash Contributions, Immediately after, the Government decided, to equip and dispatch an Expeditionary Force an appeal was made to tho public of New Zealand for gifts in money ami in kind to assist the equipment and other nccessary preparations., The responso was beyond all expectations, and the Government desires to express its appreciation of the patriotism and generosity that were displayed. Up to March 31 a sum of £159,137 had been subscribed in actual cash to assist the war expenses, but it must not be ■ supposed that this sum represents the full .measure of . the subscriptions in .money and in kind which the people of Now Zealand gave through various Channels to assist our soldiers. Tho following are 'the services fo>- which tho sum of £159,137 was received and expended by the Government;— ~ , ■ £ s. d. General war purposes 144,499 8 10 School Ambulance Fund 2,279 9 8 Spring drays 40 1 0 Foraco. ..... ' - 186 13 3 bleepina-suits for hos- ..... pitaliiise ' 20 0. 0 Loan to Government... 100 0 0 .Clothing 10 0 0 Hospital Fund, N.Z. •Expeditionary Force •' in Egypt ...v., ' 91. 5 -6 Oil for motor-cars ...... 50 0 0 Quick-firing guns 247 0 0 Purchase,of horses 3,175 17 10 Medicarl equipment 142 10 3 Ammunition-carts 92 1 3 Bicycle 8 0 0 Purchase of boots 12 2 0' Blanket Fund .; 2 2 6 Field Hosuital and Am- ■' bulauca Corps 50 ,0 0 Aeroplanes 10 0 Major operation surgical' instruments ... 40 0 0 X-ray apparatus 250 0. 0 Field ambulance 2,13010 3 Comforts 56 4 0 Purchase of motors 1,618- 4 6 Motor ambulanccs .... 3,788 7 8 Other" receipts 246 9 3 £159,137 7 9 Relief Funds, On the outbreak:of war the people of the Dominion, through the St. John Ambulance Association ancl local and central committees, with' remarkable enthusiasm banded themselves together with the object of raising both money and gifts to. meet the various necessities arising out of the war. Consider-able-contributions in money and kind wero raised and expended in equipment locally; large sums were also raised and forwarded through various channels to centralicommittees in London for relief .purposes';' Gifts in kind were equally' generous; large quantities of meat, product.'clothing, and other goods_ were shipped to England for distribution to the needy of the United Kingdom and Belgium. In February last the Belnium Relief. Committee in London, while appreciating to the fullest extent the magnificent- assistance rendered by the people of; Australia and New Zealand, were forced to recognise that if they were to continue to alleviate the sufferings of the seven millions who are still in Belgium „in a systematic manner;.' this could only be done . by organised effort,' and with a knowledgo of the exact amount of contributions they could depend upon monthly. . They accordingly made an urgent appeal to Australia _and', New Zealand' to contribute! £75,000 per month, or food equivalent to that amount. On a population basis, Now Zealand's share of this worked, out at about £15,000 per month,, '.A conference was immediately convened of patriotic associations and the St. John Ambulance Association. At that conference, presided over by His Excellency tho Governor, and held in Wellington, the following resolutions were passed: "(1) .That tho Government bo recommendedl to make a definite grant of £5000 per month, and, in addition, to subsidise at the rate of £1 for £1 all voluntary subscriptions u R. n '° any amount, not exceeding £5000 per month, raised in New Zealand for the relief, of the Belgian nation; (2) that voluntary subscriptions be asked for on a population basis; (3) that a central authority 1 bo - appointed by tho Minister of Finance for dealing with tho tranmnUsicM of nil gifts, both in money

United! Kingdom and Belgium; (4) that all donatians in money lor Red Cross purposes bo sent direct from the centres of the association of St. John in the Dominion to the headquarters in London. Further, that the above-men-tioned authority, appointed by the Minister :of Finance, should be available for making all arrangements in connection with the transmission of other gifts contributed in Now Zealand foi. Red. Cross purposes, which in the first instance 6hould be sent to the various centres of the Order of St. John, in accordance with- the working arrangements arrived at between the Association of St. John and the Red Cross Society in the United' Kingdom." These resolutions were given effect to by the Government as from April 1. In addition, the, Government decided that all moneys and gifts of clothing,, produce, etc., for relief purposes should coma through this same central authority in Wellington, .so that the people ,of the Dominion , might .ultimately know the total amount of subscription given to meet the great needs for essistanco not only of the Belgians,' but also of the Serbians and Montenegrins. i , It is difficult to accurately ascertain the amount of money and the value of the gifts which had been forwarded prior to the. date when the Government took over the work of dealing with the relief funds, but from information so far furnished the amount transmitted to London in money and in kind! up _ to March 31 last was approximately£23/,267. This was entirely apart from contributions for war purposes. - New Zealand Hospital Ship. A most generous responso was also made to His Excellency the Governor's appeal for funds for-the New Zealand hospital ship. 4 sum of no less than £80,400 has been contributed, ot whicn £48,706 is in the hands of the Government, the balance being still retained by local committees. .