MOTHER COUNTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 March 1918, Page 5

MOTHER COUNTRY.

NATIONAL EXPENDITURE. REPORT OF COMMITTEE. London. March 12. A severe i;ijiut;iient of the Ministry 01 Munitiono is a feature of the report of the committee on national expenditure.

Tile Ministry erected national factories valued at CO millions, granted private firms 10 million-; to meet capital expenditure and the Ministry's oriic-:-i~ are tin.' only security the taxpayer lro« that these enormous sums are wisely spent. Three millions were saved on cor.iita by the reduction of prices after

accountants hacl investigated the cost. Similar invcsib>ations resulted in a savin,.,' of 3"i millions in the cost ot gun ammunition during the two years called September 1017, compared with the first year of v.'«r. In another case a contract for gun equipment; ww £7,75f1.(!©(), which wni reduced by 2 tsiillicsns after the Government accountants had d the contraci.

Another company had ari ov>i;i!:eeriiig contract For four million sterling. r:ade a profit of ;C I,S'KI,COD, and then ottered a considerable rebate for a further order and made a second prolit of lialf a million. The line refused any arrangsmfjt depending on au investigation of its book*.

The committee propose to check tV.Js profligacy by ciVcciiv.' eont.ro] <.'t" in«r, and Ihir »f ratir» or pvofit. sti"cr;';i!>t«i!i:s the .miliurity "t the tina;ice dti artiiii':-.;.

Bitf4K£HS' COMBINE. TO MEET' 01' TO lA.'s SCHKME. London, "Vfardi h'. The chaiKiian at waral !:ar.k in>*iin};M stated that they had uonipiote-l amalgamatioa<i > which were n«ccss.-..-j on I'.aUoniil ground-. in view of the international nost-wav competition. Pwi>lii .suEj;:cio;! v/as not justified on tllo subject. The cliairmJ.n of the Loi.don, Ctuniy and Westminster hank declared that the Gernuni. v.»rs forming a f<in.antie money trust, hopii'g :o obtain the -iiipvcinaey oi *..•!:»• wor'd's finantj a:i'i intend tile iiei'(v'.-:t competition with British haul:-:.