MATERIAL FOR SHIRTS

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 305, 20 September 1943, Page 6

MATERIAL FOR SHIRTS

Criticism by the Leader, of. the Opposition, Dlr. Holland, regarding an order placed overseas for sporting material was replied to on Saturday by the Dlinister of Supply, Dlr. Sullivan. Mr. Holland had said that “a better example of departmental muddling and inefficiency would be hard to imagine.” “I am sure that, all right-thinking New Zealanders will agree that Dlr. Holland’s statement is a most unjustified, undiplomatic and ungrateful criticism of the capabilities of the Government administrators of pur great ally, the United States,” said Dlr. Sullivan. “It must be quite clear to Dlr. Holland and his colleagues from a statement, that I issued a few days ago that the New Zealand Government is in no way responsible for the mistake which has apparently occurred in the shipment, of certain textile material to New Zealand. If there is any blame, to be given to anyone for this mistake, that person must be connected with the United States Government Textile Buying Commission, the manufacturing contractor in America, (he United States Inspection Department, or the shipping authority. “As I explained the other day, the material which was landed in Auckland last week, of which a sample only reached my AVellington office this week, bears no relation either to the material which was specified in the order sent from New Zealand or to the material suggested by the United States AVar Production Board as a substitute and for which a written specification and a sample were sent from AVashington to AVellington. “AVe agreed to accept shirting material to United States Army specifications — thoroughly good material of which we were given a sample. AVe were sent what is described as butter muslin by 'the United Slates. Duly a bitter political partisan could blame the department for lhe mistake of someone else. That is what Dlr. Holland is doing. “1 do not think it is too much to asu that in giving play to his imagination he should endeavour, ns far as possible, 'o adhere to the truth as indicated by Hie facts and above all restrain himself from giving offeuee to the Goverumeut of our great ally, the United States.”