Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-04-19
MUNITIONS FINANCE
REFORMS NECESSARY
Committee on British National
Expenditure Makes Is
Recommendations

The select committee on national er.
penditurc. which has been inyestgatIn.
the financial methods of the Ministry
OF Munitions. has now ISSUED its report
and has made the following rccommen.
dations:
First That successor to the finance
member of the council who has recently
resigned should be appointed
Second. Til, an officer responsible
for finance be associated with the pro.
gram committee in the consideration Of
the demands made on the Ministry by
the War Office, the Air Council, the Ad.
miralty and the Allies.
Third. That the finance branch be
placed in the closest possible relation
with the department of requirements and
statistics and with the supply depart
ment responsible for the demand in ques.
ton in the consideration of the steps
which require to be taken in order to
execute the individual items Of the pro.
gram.
Fourth That in such consideration
Of any detailed program the ALLEGATION
of orders and of materials. as between
the national factories and firms working
under contract. should be decided upon
This does not apply to such day-to-dsy
variations i'm the work Of national fac
tories as are bound to occur in the
case of the factories for repair work
or for ammunition filling In these
cases it should suffice if the hpance
branch have an opportunity of review
ing the work done at the factories after
agreeing to the general program.
Fifth. That the finance branch
through early association with proposals
be in a position authoritatively to de-
eide on the necessity of capital expend-
ture and the terms Of the assistance
to be granted by the ministry the mu-
milton works board limiting itself to the
consideration of structural details and.
through the assisted works branch, to
the supervision OF execution.
Sixth. That the finance branch exact
more definite undertakings than have
hitherto been obtained regarding the
completion of extensions and equipment
within the promised time. This can be
made condition of agreement where
Government assistance is involved. as
j" the case in the ma iority of instances,
case where permission to construct pri-
ority and remission from excess taxa.
tion are allowed,
Seventh. That in order to concentrate
the available labor and material on the
more necessary of extensions involving
capital expenditure a far more rigorous
scrutiny be carried out i'm ;he ministry
itself than appears to be the case al
present.
Eighth. That the munitions works
board should consider whether any econ
omy in staff or expenditure under con-
tract can be effected, consistently with
the safeguarding of the special purposes
of the departments, by the unitication OF
the present separate construction depart
ments of the ministry
Ninth. That the attention of the treas
ury be drawn to the references 20 finance
in this report with a view to its assist
ing and strengthening the status and in
fuence of the finance branches OF the
ministry.
Tenth. That the War Office should
order the release of qualified Accountants
tor national service in the ministry
Eleventh. That a representative OF
the contracts branch be added TO the
munitions council.
Twelfth. That it be definitely lalo
down that the settlement Of contracl
prices IS the duty of the contracts
| branch.
Thirteenth That the technical COST
| ing section, whether removed from ue
contracts branch or not be Immediately
strengthened and the work of all eng
neering costing in the ministry be under'
| taken by X,
Fourteenth. That collective bargaining
| be abolished and that fat rates be estsv'
| lished only in cases where IT is possip.'
| to arrive at an average cost and TO einH'
/ mate the uneconomic producer.