REPAIRS TO TRANSPORTS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 1407, 1 June 1916, Page 5

REPAIRS TO TRANSPORTS.

ALLEGATIONS OF WASTE

DEKE N C IS MIX 1 STE"R'S*a»EBH AL,

UT*>tn Our Parliamentary' Reliorter.) v WELLINGTON, this day.

Mr. Allen, in reply to a .suggestion from Mr. Payne that there had been, great waste in connection with, repairs to transports, stated that the 'Transport Board consisted of Captains Post and Mc'Pherson, of the Tutajipkai, Captain Stringer, of the Marine Department, und Mr. A. Walker, Lloyd's Surveyor, Wellington. He added that the Board had also the services of marine kuperinttandents and machinery' inspectors mt four ports where the, vessels had been fitted out and reconditioned." The Minister concluded that* the suggestion that the whole work of the Board could be carried out by marine'.'superintendents and 'machinery inspectors at each port was untenable, as 'their services would have to be entirely devoted to this work, because the" regular despatch of reinforcement drafts, together with the', transport of horses and supplies, entails Vontinuous work, in connection with the several convoys under .charter, the Minister 'dsnicd tliat there had been /waste. In connection with matters pertaining to fitting iip and repairs to transports, the Department was in close and continuous "tbuph with the Board, and was fully satisfied the work had always been carried out in tho best interests of tho service and State. Having full regard "t."^ the. 'comfort of men and ho'rpes, it. will ho realised that scamped work or material may not onlyresult in injury or loss of life len route, but also damage to vessels, involving much more expen&o. The "'Minister further remarked : "It may .be mentioned that tine majority, of intercolonial vessels " necessary to' -Use for the transport of the Main Expeditionary Force had to be redelivered to (lie United -Kingdom and reconditioned there. Three— the Athenic, Arawa, and Waimana—were brought back to meet export requirements, and 'reconditioned in Wellington -for their ordinary, trade. Tlio total cost of tlie • supervising and reconditioning of .vesipls, reinstating them in their "original conditioi\ in, Wellington by the Transport Board, .'amounted to /.under 20 per cent, of the cost of supervision of similar "work on N each of the other, vessels Wt Home, in." suite of lh& facilities which exist ' there iu this direction." "