asked the Minister for Lands and Fisheries if he will give particulars of the nature and volume of the work carried on by the Central Depot during the financial year 1930-31, including the results of the year's trading.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Work of Central Depot.
The work of the Depot during the last year was largely preliminary in character. The branches of the business involved included homespuns and handwoven tweeds and knitted wear.
Sufficient stocks of tweeds had been accumulated to enable the systematic marketing of these goods to be undertaken on 21st February of this year. The value of tweeds sold during March was £677 10s. 9d., and sales amounting to £614 13s. 7d., had been made during the preceding nine months.
In the case of knitwear the policy is to bring into the Depot only the goods from the several centres according as they can be engaged exclusively on the production of the standard garments.
The old stocks of defective goods which had accumulated at all the centres which were of a book value of £3,105 17s. 6d. were first sold off and realised £285. Other goods of out-of-date pattern were sold for £551 17s. 4d.
Adequate stocks of the standard patterns for sale under the trade mark have not yet been obtained. The rejections which at the outset amounted to some 90 per cent. of the goods manufactured have now fallen to about 15 per cent., and stocks are gradually being secured.
Detailed trading accounts of the centres already operating through the Depot for the year are not yet available.