Omaha daily bee., 1915-05-09
GIVES SUPPLIES TO ALLIES
Australia Making Large Contract
for Provisions for Men Depart
ing for the Front.
AIL IS DONE By aOVERNMENT

! MELBOURNE, Australia, April 25.--
! Correspondence of The Associated Press.)
Some idea OF the part OF Australasia as
a component OF the British empire IL
! playing In the war az q purveyor OF sup
plies OF a military kind for itself. Great
= Britain and the aIlles may be gathered
from the following facts and figures:
The defence department has requisl-
toned the entire output of the various
wooden mills throughout the common
wealth for an indefinite time and the mill
owners and managers. are undertaking TO
do ali In their power to facilitate the
manufacturing OF the cloth and garments
required by the department. Besides sup
| plying each Australian soldier on active
service with a uniform when he embarks
on q troopship the department engaged
10 supply him with a fresh uniform every
three months while he IL at the front. At
present the superintendent OF army con-
tracts, Captain ]. c. ormlston Is requir-
ing at once 1,il2.OOo yards OF flannel TO
say nothing OF 100000 wooden undershirts
and 2eO,4O0 pairs OF drawers Of the Same
| material. Australia being n country
which, singularily enough. exports inn
mense quantities OF raw wool, but has
few wooden or other textile establish
ments as yet. the strain upon the existing
mills Is enormous. Meantime a represent
tatve OF the federal government has
placed orders with a single wooden manu-
featuring firm In New Zealand for 5000
navy sweaters, $4,000 knitted drawers,
200 200 knitted shirts. 10000 pairs OF socks
and more than a million yards OF flannel.
II Is doubtful. however, II all the wooden
mills in New Zealand can cope with this
order inasmuch as at present they are
doing their utmost TO keep the Dominion
contingents supplied with clothing Of the
above description.
In Sydney the whole OF the mutton In
cold storage within the metropolitan
area supply variousiy estimated as
numbering between 10000 and 10000
sheep-has been taken over on behalf of
the Imperial authorities at prices already
fixed at from cents tc 1914 cents
pound by agreement between the own
ers and the home and the overseas au-
thorities. Although the New South
Wales government Is simply acting as
the agent OF the British government. this
Is tho biggest transaction OF tile kind
that has ever been carried out IN sgd
ney. The state government is acting
under direct request from the govern
ment in England, which was recently
translated into an act OF Parliament
The first consignment Will consist Of
about 5000 refrigerated sheep. but much
heavier oonsignments will be forwarded
before long. The Imperial government
has engaged TO provide the transporta-
| ton.
Meantime the state abattoirs at Home
| bush. near sydney. will very shortly be
in full swing and sheep will be slaugh-
tered at, the rate Of 5000 daily. The New
South Wales authorities have been ad-
vised that the demand for the British
army and navy is practically iimitless.
| A shoe company In Melbourne Is nego-
tiating with the Russian government 10
supply It with 10000 pairs OF soldiers
shoes within twelve months AT the rate
entered into. viii involve nearly $4,000
The matter is not yet settled. however
Of 10000 pairs a month. The contract. II