CO129-624-14 Finances- relief stores- Hangover stores and Siamese free rice 1-7-1948 - 31-12-1951 — Page 60

Code

Orig

ü

54186/13.

INWARD TELEGRAM

TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES

FROM HONG KONG ( Sir A. Grantham)'

D. 1st May, 1950.

R. 1st

14.00 hrs.

58

IMMEDIATE

Beginning of Part 3 of my telegram

No. 473. Begins.

Fitzgibbon listed stocks which were surplus or unserviceable and since then goods valued by him at approximately 1/100,000 have been disposed of for approximately $275,000. We still have surplus stock on some items which may amount to another $1,000,000 (excluding steel) on which a further loss on realization is expected.

7. From the beginning all stores intended for male were dealt with by S.T. and I and are accounted for in Appendix I while Controller of Stores dealt with stores intended for Government departments, very small proportion of which were sold, including surplus Young plan goods paid for through Crown Agents for the Colonies for Hong Kong General Account) amounting to:-

(a) $276,395 in 1946/47

(b) #312,988 in 1947/48 and

(0) $500,041 in 1948/49.

and in addition approximately $275,000 (mentioned in para. 6) in respect of sale by auction of surplus or cond owned atores.

გ.

Brief answers to your questions appear to be:- A. (1) Railway rolling stock and spares £162,500 (sterling

(2) Timber, cement, miscellaneous Engineering Department apares as in Schedule A, say £187,500 (sterling). B. Miscellaneous hardware: cannot discriminate between Military stores and Crown Agents for the Colonies for Hong Kong General #ccount or provide value; suggest reasonable approach might be to regard say threequarters of proceeds of sale (see para. 7) as of stores of War Office mainly in diminution of Item A(2). This sun will be augmented by say $200,000 (excluding large stocks of steel bought through Crown Agents for the Colonies for Hong Kong General Account) when remaining surplus stores realized.

9. Practically all these stores arrived after 1st May, 1946, war office being unable to fulfil their o omni tments earlier.

Ends.

DEFENCE & GENERAL

2- MAY 1950

REGISTRY

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