IMPERIAL SUPPLIES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17216, 19 January 1918, Page 13

IMPERIAL SUPPLIES

NEARLY FORTY-SIX MILLIONS

PAID FOR PRODUCE.

One of the most interesting departments controlled by the Prime Minister is tho Department of Imperial Government Supplies. It is through this department that the British authorities purchase produce in this country and pay the producers. The department was established in 1915, and up to the present time it has made payments amounting to not less than £45,769.903. Mr Massey stated to a Lyttelton Times reporter on Monday night that he expected that during this year this total would bo increased by between £27,000,000 and £28,000,000, but he made the reservation: "If we can get the ships." In reply to a question, he said that at present tho shipping outlook was quite good, but that nobody could say when it would change. The following are the products represented in the total of £45,769,903; — Frozen meat ... ... £20,575,920 Wool 15,966,784 Cheese (1915-16 season) ... _ „ 917,748 Cheese (1916-17 season) ._ ... 3,295,514 Cheese (1917-18 season) .„ _. 998,627 Butter (1917-18 season) ... _ ... 678^222 Scheelite _ ... „ ... 90,476 Sheepskins ._ _ ... „„. ... 612,141 Hides _. ... 512*458 Freezing companies' slipe wool 1,260.873 Other items 761j130 Total _ „ ...£45,769,903 The Prime Minister said that he had received good reports of this season's wool clip from experts. Approximately, 180,000 bales of the new season's wool had been valued, and current valuations continued to bo particularly heavy. It was estimated tnat during January and February 140,000 and 130,000 bales respectively would be submitted throughout 'tne dominion, representing estimated payments for those months of £7,000,000. Of over 500,000 bales valued during the 1916-17 season only 35,000 remained at present unprovided with shipping space, and it was anticipated that those bales would be shipped early in February. The purchase of sheepskins was being continued, at the direct request of tho Imperial Government, but negotiations now had been opened with the Imperial authorities with a view to removing some of tho anomalies under that requisition. Owing to increased coist oi material, and in response to_ representations from fellmongers, tho price for curing pelts had been increased from 3s to 3s 9d a dozen, and an all round rate of 2{d per lb paid for sliping wool in respect of the previously existing rato of 2d per lb. with a minimum of 6d per skin, and some 20,000 calfskins had been exported to Australian tanners on behalf of the Imperial Government, and arrangements were in hand for the shipment of a further 20,000 to the same destination during tho present month. Applications had been received from Canada for calfskins from this dominion, but in view of Australian requirements it had not been possible to export to Canada. It was expected that this month and early in February the moat held in store would be reduced by 500,000 freight carcases and leave on hand approximately only 100,000 freight carcases of last season's meat. Arrangements for the purchase of slipe wool from freezing companies wore approaching finality, and a final draft of tbe conditions governing the purchaso was being submitted to the companies, with a view to ascertaining whether it was now acrer.ttablo. The whole of last season's dairy had now either been shipped or in course of shipment. «nd it Was •Btinpatcd that, the whole of !<vst season e "wool would be provided for, and, as stated, only 100.000 carcases of old seacon's frozen meat loft without shipping space.