THE COST OF WAR

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 50, 22 November 1917, Page 6

THE COST OF WAR

STATEMENT OF EXPENDITURE

£26,846,475 TO SEPTEMBER 30,

The following is a statement of expenditure from tho beginning of the war to September 30, 1 ( J17 (omitting shillings and pence) : — Advertising, printing, office equipment, etc., £86,631. Allowances to wives of Imperial soldiers ami reservists and members of the moLor-boat patrol'residing in New Zealand, £7439. Camps—expenses of (including concentrating), £542,500. Canteens on transports, £13,548. Clerical assistance, £149,666. Commissions of niquiry, £1067. Deposits of allotments paid through Post Offices in the United Kingdom, £117,650. Discharged Soldiers' Information Department, expenses, £4753. Distribution of war news and casualty lists.in New Zealand, £260,000. Donations refunded and transferred, £1169. Equipment, (including purchase of boots, clothing, g.s. wagons, ammunition, carts, etc.), £2,323,226.

Forage, £231,299. Freight on Great Britain and Belgian' relief produce, £656. Grants to regimental funds, £3699. Grants to soldiers' hostels (London £9780, New Zealand £1379), £11.159. Half cost of reinsurance _ of death benefits of members of Friendly Societies serving with the Expeditionary Force, £7422. Home dofence (forts, harbour patrols, examination of steamers, guarding cables, wireless stations', railway picquets, censors), £276,797. Hospital ship Malieuo, £259,087. Hospital ship Marama., £240,896. Maintenance of indigent enemy subjects in New Zealand, £102. Mechanical _ transport (including motor-ears, bicycles, oil for motors, etc.), £22,781. Medical (including fees, equipment for hospitals, field hospitals, and ambulances, surgical instruments, comforts, etc.), £421,424. Military Service Act: Expenses . of administration, including _ recruiting, military service, and medical boards, £71,175. National Efficiency.Board: Administrative expenses, £4373. New Zealand Munitions and Supplies Department, £7376. Pay and allowances, £11,308,962. Per capita payments to War Office for maintenance of New Zealand troops in the field, ammunition, extra transport, etc.,, £4,500,000, Postage, telegrams, telephones (including preparing war news cablegrams for dispatch to New Zealand from the United Kingdom, and cable charges thereon), £79,623. Prisoners of war, £65,825. Purchase of horses and expenses incidental thereto, £210,209.

Rations, £1,113,347. Superannuation paid by Government on behalf of Civil Servants serving ■with Expeditionary Force, £54,047. Transport of troops (including charter of steamers; meals and fares of men travelling to join; freight, cartage, etc.), £4,196,384. Travelling expenses and allowances, £9848.

War bonus of military staff, £6523. Administration Samoa —sundry expenses recoverable from Samoan Administration, ' £13. Financial Assistance Board expenses, £4026.

The total net expenditure Tip to September 30. 1917, was £26,614,730. The expenditure under Section 6 of the Public Revenues Act Amendment Act, 1915: Relief purposes —Belgium, £211,584; New Zealand, £160.

Appropriation Act, 1915, Section 25, £20,000. Grand total, £26,846,475.

SUMMARY. Total expenditure to June 30, 1917, £23,921,689. Expenditure for quarter ending September '20, 1917, £9,924,785. Imprests outstanding at September 30, 1917: In New Zealand, £1,242,035; in London, £2,880,284. No claim has been received from the War Office for maintenance at the rate of £650.000 per month, affd the outstanding liability at this rate from April 1, 1917, amounting to £3,900,000, is not included in the return. It does, however,' include regular remittances of £65,000 per month for miscellaneous charges, increased to £130,000 per month from September 1, 1917.