MUNITIONS & SUPPLIES

Evening Post, Volume XCV, Issue 25, 29 January 1918, Page 3

MUNITIONS & SUPPLIES

STATEMENT BY HON. A. M.

MYERS

BIG ARMY BILL THIS YEAR.

A summary of recent activities o£ the Munitions and Supplies Department was given to a reporter on Saturday by the Hon. A. M. Myers, Minister in Charge, states the Auckland Star.

Dealing with the military supplies purchase branch, Mr. Myers said that according to the estimates which he had caused to be prepared, as far as could be judged, the military authorities would require goods to the value, of £1,300,000 for the calendar year 1918. "The schedules of likely requirements," he added, " have been very carefully scrutinised with a view to procuring what is needed in the most economical way. A large proportion of the business is represented by supplies of cloth and woollen materials which are being produced by various New Zealand woollen mills.- As regards making the quantities up into uniforms, contracts have this week been let to successful tenderers at satisfactory prices, although some are slightly in advance of 1917 prices, which is accounted for by the fact that the cost of linings, buttons, etc., has considerably advanced, and that there is also a slight increase in the cost of labour, due to war bonuses."

In regard to military boots and chocs, Mr. Myers stated that tenders were at present under consideration, and he hoped that those interested would know their position on his return to Welling. ton.

"It will no doubt be appreciated by all those in touch with,markets," stated, the Minister, "that under present conditions difficulties have to be overcome in securing large supplies of many commodities at reasonable prices. As an instance of this, the Department has been brought to realise that the tender system of securing goods does not promote the competition of merchants which the method of buying intends to create. As a consequence of this, the Department has to go into the market in the same way as mercantile houses would under similar circumstances have to do, and, in this connection, it is a, source of slSisfaction to me to have the benefit of the expert services of 'my advisers." • GOODS FROM HOME. Referring to "priority permits," under which goods required for essential in-^ dustries are obtained from Great Britain by arrangement with the British Ministry of Munitions. Mr. Myers said thata to date 4504 applications had been received. Of this number 4438 had been dealt with, and of ttie balance 37 were under action in the office and 29 under consideration. The total value .of all orders received to date was equivalent to £1,789,585. COAL DISTRIBUTION. The question of coal supplies, the distribution of which is under his control, j was also dealt with by Mr. Myers. A general shortage of coal, hard coal particularly, -was making itself felt throughout the Dominion, he remarked. The local coal trade committees established in the various centres had during the last two months found their time closely occupied in allocating the coal supplies available, to the best advantage. The policy of the Department being in this connection to utilise such coal as is available to the best advantage from a national point of view, it followed, therefore, that the requirements of the Admiralty, the railways, and the bunkering of oversea ships were those which mast receive first consideration.

At the moment the' effects of the strikes (both in New Zealand and in Australia) in the early part of last year, the reduced output from the mines owing to .the Christmas holidays, and increased consumption, were still being felt. Every effort, ( however, was being made to secure all available tonnage for the purpose of supplementing the New Zealand output by importations, but in this direction, irilh the world-wide shortage of shipping, one could not be optimistic.