CO129-624-14 Finances- relief stores- Hangover stores and Siamese free rice 1-7-1948 - 31-12-1951 — Page 58

56

3.

*

(including $1,200,000 to services for stock now believed to be covered by Colonial Office swingra No. 320)

(0) 1948/1949

$16,000,000.

It appears to be agreed that practically none of BMA stores arrived or vore made available to Government Departments within six months except perhaps some medical stores which were taken over by the Navy for use of Queen Mary Hospital and some electrical spares for Hong Kong Electrio. Davis, Acting Controller of Stores from September, 1945, to February, 1946, states that nothing was received from outside the Colony during that time for Government Departments whose wants (and some of those of the Services) were supplied by local purchase and in addition large scale requisitioning of abandoned stores in surprisingly full go-downa the value of which requisitions he estimated at $500,000 (sterling) which will not be charged in WA Accounts. Hagger, who was Controller of Stores until October, 1946, confirms that Stores Department did not start taking over imported stocks until the beginning of May, 1946, and thereafter stores arrived in a flood but an increasing proportion were stares ordered and paid for through the Crown Agents, BMA deliveries had practically cansed, with major exception of railway locomotives by the end of December, 1946. End of Part I, Part II follows.

R (Correction obtained 2/5)

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