WAR STORES

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25344, 27 October 1945, Page 8

WAR STORES

DISPOSING OF SUBPLUS REPORT ON PROGRESS (S.R.) WELLINGTON, Friday Tho total cash receipts from the disposal of surplus war buildings, materials, equipment and stores up to March 31 were £3/178,013, according to the annual report of the War Assets Realisation Board, which was tabled in the House of Representatives today. Tho principal items in the total were £2,802,621 from motor-vehicles and parts, £200,032 from buildings, and £114,162 from foodstuffs. Tho report states that negotiations have boon entered into with Unrra for large quantities ol uniforms, clothing generally and boots. Sales to Unrra from April 1 to May 31 amounted to about £124,000. The Netherlands East Indies Government is interested in the purchase fit' a wide range of surplus stores and already has placed orders for clothing to the value of about £32,000. Negotiations are proceeding. The Sale of Buildings Referring to the disposal of buildings, the report states that the Works Department took over a largo number of buildings to be used either as workers' accommodation or for reconstruction of classrooms, assembly halls, etc., on behalf of the Education Department,. The majority of the recreation, halls from surplus army camps were taken over by the Education Department for re-erection as assembly halls. The Housing Construction Department, in addition to the utilisation of huts for additional farm workers' accommodation, took over a number of aif force hostels and also the Castor Bay batl'TV camp for conversion into State housing units. The Lands and Survey Department acquired a number of hutments and other buildings for temporary and permanent use on farms for rehabilitated ex-servicemen. The Land and Income Tax Department, as part of its decentralisation policy, purchased several of the higher standard buildings for re-erection as office accommodation in the Auckland area. Concrete Magazines at Motutapu

Fifty concrete magazines at Motutapu island and ten kitchen blocks at Cumbria Park ;iro in use for wool storage. Other buildings, including dormitories at Waikaraka Park, have been reserved for future requirements. The report adds that some public reserves were still in occupation for military purposes, particularly around Auckland city. As soon as these were vacated by the services the board would make every effort to clear and restore them.

Satisfactory arrangements have been concluded with the United States authorities for charges for the use by their forces of New Zealand camps and buildings in Fiji. Arrangements are in band for the disposal of a hospital at Sambeto and a camp at Namaka, in which tho Government of Fiji is not interested, and negotiations have been concluded satisfactorily with the Fiji Government for the sale of them and of all other New Zealand army camps and buildings in Fiji. Buildings in Pacific

When the Third New Zealand Division was withdrawn from the Pacific all New Zealand camps and buildings, with the exception of the No. 4 General Hospital at Dumbest and the convalescent hospital at Kalavere, were transferred to the United States forces under a satisfactory arrangement. As there were no prospects of the disposal locally of the Kalavere convalescent hospital, the offer of the United States to dismantle and ship it to New Zealand was accepted. The materials are now in store in New Zealand and have been sold to the Netherlands East Indies Government.

Dealing with the disposal of motorvehicles, the report states that cars available numbered about 80. These were insufficient to meet the requirements of Government departments and applications from ex-servicemen, and there was no prospect of any further substantial releases of cars from the Services for some time to come. Apart from a number of War Department types of motor transport vehicles which may become surplus to Army requirements in the future, there were approximately only 700 commercial type trucks of all classes still remaining for disposal.

CHANCE TO CLEAR NAME PUBLIC SERVANT'S PETITION (5.1!.) WELLINGTON. Friday A prayer that the House should institute a public inquiry to give him an opportunity of refuting allegations, to clear himself and to vindicate his character as a public servant is contained in a petition from Mr George Laing, general inspector of Government motor vehicles, Wellington, presented to the House of Representatives today. The petition was presented by Mr 0. H. Chapman (Government Wellington North). The petitioner states that for the pastten years ho has held his position and his duties included the investigation of irregularities connected with motor vehicles owned by the Government. In November, 1943, he was engaged in investigating irregularities in connection with Army vehicles in Christchurch in conjunction with officers of the Audit and Army Security Departments. The investigation was stopped following instructions and the Audit and Army Security officers were directed to have no further association with > him. "Tn September, 1944, petitioner was publicly castigated from the floor of Parliament and treated with contumely and contempt unprecedented in the history of the public service," continues the petition. "The petitioner is of opinion that these attacks were unwarranted, as he, had ample authority for conducting his investigations, as he was only doing his duty in protecting public funds, and as the charges he made were fully established. The petitioner is of the opinion that as a result of these public attacks from the privilege of Parliament ho has no remedy except by Parliament, that he has been publicly humiliated and held up to contempt, and that he has been gravely prejudiced in carrying out his duties, a considerable portion of which have been taken away from him."