STATE ENTERPRISES

Southland Times, Issue 17659, 17 February 1916, Page 5

STATE ENTERPRISES

Mr ■\V. Kunciman, as President of the Boar! of Trade, gave to a special conference of trade unionists a picturesque and important account of what the British Government has done since the war began in the way of trading on its own account. According to the New Statesman, Mr Hunciman’s list of things we have done included; — "The purchase of the whole world supply (if sugar, to the extent of £4 0,000,000; “The sudden taking possession of all the ships in the world that were fitted with refrigerating apparatus, and thus enabling advantageous contracts for huge amounts to be made with the little ring of American and Argentine meat exporters; "The rssi'tnption by the Indian Government of the entire export trade in wheat; “The chartering on Blue-book Terms’ of something approaching a couple of thousand tramps and liners, until the Admi’-aity lias become the paymaster, it is said. (;f nearly a million men; “The colossal deals in coal and every other requisite for the benefit of our Allies, and so on,"