SURPLUS WAR STOCKS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 17984, 9 January 1922, Page 6

SURPLUS WAR STOCKS.

SALES TOTAL £675,000,000. A statement was recently made by Sir Howard Frank, chairman of the British Disposal and Liquidation Commission, that Bales to date of surplus Government property and of raw materials on trading account amount approximately to £600,000,000. Tho Disposal Board during I the'last twelve months has effected large! clearances of surplus stocks, the variety and value of which are shown by the following selections from the mass of sales in general63o,ooo tons of ferrous scrap, 200.TKK) tons of non-ferrous scrap, 67,000 tons of various chemicals and explosives, 1,750,000 pairs of boots and other footwear, 920,000 barrels of herrings, 15,000 tons of foodstuffs, the port of Richborough with 205 acres, nine national factories, one submarine base with 182 acres, 12 aerodrome*, three Martello towers and one fort, 23,000 huts,_ 12,700 standards of timber, 4,000,000 articles of furniture and hospital equipment, including over 2,000,000 articles of hardware and enamel; 11,000 miles of cable, 68,000 sleepers. Textiles have realised £5,620,400, the sales including: 425,000 yards of canvas, 5,500,000 yards of cotton piece goods, 4.250,000 pairs of socks, 2,800,000 yards of tape, 23,000 tons of sandbags, 2,000,000 yards of woollen doth, 700,000 yards of hosiery, 350,000 uhirts, 600 tons of khaki webbing. The foregoing is exclusive of overseas theatres. From the date of the armistice to October 26, 1921, sales reported in overseas theatres amount approximately to £75,800,000. The commission has completed disposals in Italy and Salonica, and practically in France, Flanders, and the Rhine area. It was hoped to be able shortly to close down in Egypt, while sales in India and Irak are proceeding as quickly as possible under somewhat difficult local conditions.