£25,819,761 From War Assets Sales Last Year

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 September 1947, Page 4

£25,819,761 From War Assets Sales Last Year

Sales, made by the War Assets Realisation Board during the year ended March 31 last amounted to £11,071,365, according to the annual report of. the board, which has been presented in the House of Representatives. Proceeds of sales up to that date total £25,819,761.

Discussing the future activities of the board, the report stated that although there were still substantial surpluses to dispose of, and there was still considerable revenue to accrue from the final accounting and realisation of buildings, it was anticipated that the revenue for the next and succeeding years would be considerably less than for the current year, such items as weapons and ammunition, tex-

tiles, motor transport vehicles, ships and foodstuffs, having been considerably reduced in volume.

The board’s activities in the South Island were now reaching the stage where it was anticipated that the Dunedin and,Blenheim offices should be closed within the next two or three months and the Christchurch office about the end of the year. In the near future it would be necessary for the board to make more strenuous efforts to explore new markets for slow-moving lines and substitute alternative uses for much of the materials.

Except for the purpose df housing materials from dismantled camps and buildings, it was not originally the intention of the board to set up a separate stores organisation, all Government departments being responsible for the holding, safeguarding and accounting of the stores which they from time to time declared as surplus, but consequent upon the purchase of the very large volume of stores from the United States Forces in New Zealand it became necess&ry, and at short notice, to take over and staff a number of warehouses. and stores at Auckland and Wellington. Following on the realisation of substantial stocks taken over from the United States Forces, much of the storage space had been and was being made available for other purposes. United Kingdom Stocks

Arrangements were completed whereby all United Kingdom surplus stores located in New Zealand were to be disposed of through the board at an administrative charge on the proceeds. Negotiations were now in

hand for the purchase by the Government of the remaining United Kingdom surplus stocks, as this would simplify disposal procedure. Although substantial sales had been made to UNRRA, the Netherlands East Indies and other overseas organisations, further sales were unlikely. Sales to date to overseas organisations totalled £662,734. To date 174 vessels, large and small, had been disposed of, the total realisation being approximately £412,000. There were now only a few vesels for disposal. Sales Of Motor Vehicles The number of motor vehicles disposed of during the year was 3592, an increase of 140 over the previous year. In view of the decreasing number of vehicles becoming available it was doubtful whether the existing set-up providing for the allocation and disposal of vehicles was necessary. Consideration would be given at a later stage to the question of whether all vehicles should not be disposed of by public tender. Sales of motor vehicles for the year ended May 31, 1947, amounted to £529,704. and the proceeds of motor wehicle sales up to that date totalled £4,719,010. Substantial numbers of aircraft had been declared surplus by the Air De - partment, including 159 Tiger Moths, 119 Oxfords, 491 combat types, and 24 various other types of aircraft, a total of 793. Sales of aircraft to date totalled 265, the proceeds of which were £36,322.