§ 32. Sir J. D. REESasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether the orders for military bicycles have been fairly distributed between different manufacturing centres capable of supplying military requirements; and whether this principle is, so far as public interests permit, being observed in the orders given for small shells, which more than one Midland manufacturing centre is ready and able to supply?
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the WAR OFFICE (Mr. H. Baker)For military reasons it is essential that Army bicycles should be standardised in every part. Orders placed by tender in the usual way are to this extent restricted to those who can meet the necessary requirements. Purchases of trade patterns have, however, been made in some cases on emergency. As regards Artillery ammunition, there is obvious objection to the placing of orders for urgent requirements 278 of stores of a special character with firms who may have insufficient experience of the difficulty of manufacture and of the extreme degree of accuracy which is exacted. But in this, as in all other cases, subject to military necessities, every effort is being made to distribute orders as widely as possible.
§ Sir J. D. REESDoes the hon, Gentleman realise that persons in the manufacturing centres are not of opinion that that has been very successfully accomplished?