WAR- SUPPLY ORDERS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20635, 15 August 1941, Page 7

WAR- SUPPLY ORDERS

N.Z. NOT INCLUDED QUESTIONS IN HOUSE (Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. A complaint that New Zealand is not participating in the orders from India lor general military equipment, including clothing and boots, was made in the House of Representatives yesterday by Mr. J. Broadfoot (Nat. Waitomo). He said that Australia had received exceedingly large orders. He desired to know what steps the Government had taken for New Zealand to participate in the supply. Mr. Broadfoot suggested that if Australia was not able to supply all the commodities asked for, New Zealand might have been able to make up the deficiency. “Why have we not been consulted and allowed to participate in some of the orders?” be asked. Mr. T. H. McCombs (Lab., Lyttelton): We have. Mr, Broadfoot: Well, why does not the Minister let us know why we have not participated in the supply? Continuing, Mr. Broadfoot said that orders had been received by Australia for the supply of canned meat to Russia. The order meant between 22,000 and 30,000 tons of meat in tins. If Australia could supply such orders, why not New Zealand? It was apparently a question of obtaining machinery before participating. The acting-Prime Minister, the Hon. W. Nash: It is a recent order.