PRISONERS OF WAR.

Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 3340, 8 September 1917, Page 4

PRISONERS OF WAR.

COST £28,409 TO KEEP LAST YEAR.

Some very interesting and rather surprising figures were contained in a return placed before Parliament at the instance of Mr C. H. Poole, showing the cost of the maintenance of prisoners of war from April 1, 1916, till March 31, 1917, at Somes Island, and Motuihi and Devonport (Auckland). Ai, Somas Island there was a daily average number of prisoners of 269 second-class men, at Motuihi there I were 24 first-class and 27 j second-class prisoners, and at Devonport I*3 sec-ond-class prisoners. The cost of rations for prisoners was £4496 5s 9d at Somes Island, £2851 2*3 4d at Motuihi, and £474 10s at Devonport. Tho daily average staff guard was 68 at Somes Island, 32J at Motuihi, and 4at Devonport. Tho cost of rations for tho staff and guard was £1674 at Somes Island, £972 15s 8d at Motuihi, and £130 15s lOil at Devonport. The cost of par for samo was £6690 10s 3d at Somes Island, £3953 lis lOd at Motuihi and £365 at Devonport. The-cost of transport by land and sei was £1556 14s 2d at Somes Island and £748 19s 9d at Motuihi. Tiie cost of stores and equipment was £2500 at Somes Island, £217 lis at Motuihi, and £21 at Devonport. The grand total of cost at Somes Island was £17,981 10s Bd, at Motuihi £9130 17s, and Devonport £1279 Is. a total for the three settlements of £28,409 8s Bd. The average cost, including rations, ' per prisoner per diem was 3s 8d for ' second-class prisoners at Somes Island, 10s for first-class, and 8s lid for second-class prisoners at Motuihi, and 4s 5d for second-class prisoners at Devonport. Rations per day cost lid at Somes Island, 3s 5d and Is B£d at Motuihi, and is 7£d at Devonport. Mr Fletcher (Wellington Central) asked for a return showing the numbe" of Germans interned on Somes Island, the cost per head of those interned, and the number employed in useful work. The reply gives tho number interned as 270. the cost per head 3s 8d per day, and the number employed on useful work 70.