§ MR. HANBURY (Preston)asked the Secretary of State for War, Whether the disused clothing of the whole Army (except in India) was, on the occasion of the last contract, disposed of for three years in advance, the Government and the contractor being both in ignorance of the real quantity, quality, or value of the stores so sold; whether only two firms were permitted to tender; whether the whole quantity, of the value of about £50,000, was included in one contract, and the opportunity of competing thus strictly limited to very large firms; whether, at the Admiralty sale by public auction at Deptford last month, trousers similar to those sold in the above contract at 9d. fetched 6s. 6d., red Kersey tunics similarly sold at 6½d., fetched 1s. 2d. to 1s. 11d., and loggings sold by contract at 3d. fetched 8d.; whether this contract expires during this month, and what steps have been taken as to a new contract; and, whether he will undertake that, in future, the system of speculative sales in advance shall be discontinued, and the contracts for disused stores shall be made by open competition, and in such smaller quantities as to make competition possible?
THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, WAR DEPARTMENT (Mr. BRODRICK)(who replied) (Surrey, Guildford)said: Clothing which has been worn for the regulated period is disposed of under a contract made for three years. There is sufficient knowledge derived from experience of quantity and quality to enable both the Departments and the contractor to make a forecast for that period. Boots are disposed of separately; but all other articles of clothing are thrown together into one contract. The contract was publicly advertised, and three firms tendered. The prices obtained for some small lots sold by the Admiralty were as stated in the Question; 1786 but there is nothing to show that the condition of the garments sold was not far superior to that of Army clothing. The contractor collects the garments from all the stations at home and abroad; and the contracts are made with one contractor for all the garments to avoid the labour and expense of local contracts, and to secure that neither blue nor scarlet garments shall be disposed of as garments in the United Kingdom except to bands and other recognized bodies. The contract now expiring will be renewed by public competition, and greatcoats will probably be made the subject of a separate contract.