A BIG BUY

Evening Star, Issue 25676, 27 December 1945, Page 7

A BIG BUY

H.Z. GETS AMERICAN EQUIPMENT EVERY VARIETY OF SUPPLIES (P.A.) AUCKLAND, Dec. 26. One of the biggest purchases of supplies ever made in New Zealand was completed recently when several hundred thousand pounds’ worth of United States stores and equipment were sold to the Government by the American authorities. Most of the material is at present in four Auckland depots, which will be vacated by the ■: United States forces early in the New Year. ’ Most , of, it has never been used ■ and its release should relieve the shortage of timber, electrical equipment, ship’s gear, gineering equipment and steeL ' . Included in the stores for disposal is a large quantity of timber now stored in a yard in the Strand, formerly used ■as a workshop and lumber yard by the Public Works Department of the United States Navy. Among the stocks are 46,400 superficial feet of Oregon timber, 1,100 feet of oak, 9,500 feet of sugar pine and 1,5001 b of lignum vitae, a special hardwood used in shipbuilding, .

A valuable collection of shipping gear is stored at Hobson wharf, the centre of American naval activity at Auckland for over three years. Electrical fittings and Diesel engines are also among the large quantity of equipment at these stores, while at the salvage depot at the western end of the Western Viaduetpipes, steel plates, bolts, valves and' a ■ variety (of:' articles for the outfitting of ships: are ready for disposal. , The United States Navy, supply warehouse in Halsey street contains fork lifts for the rapid hapdling of stores, trucks, tractors, and even table cutlery. According to Commander A. C. Bushey, jun., senior member of the United States Disposal Board and senior United States officer in, Auckland, who has been supervising the transfer of the stores, there is everything for disposal, from nuts and : bolts ( engines and tractors. He said that American policy was to avoid dumping, i far as possible and it was extremely gratifying that 90 per cent, of the stores brought'to Auckland of United States origin had been left here. /The. remaining 10 per cent, had gone mainly to other Pacific bases. Virtually no.thig had been returned to America. : It is understood that the financial arrangements concerning the purchase of the goods have been completed, but it was stated that any details would .uve to be announced by the New Zea•ld Government:

Additional purchases of Equipment \ave been made in the islands by Government and private buyers in recent weeks.