H.—4

1929. NEW ZEALAND.

STORES CONTROL BOARD (ANNUAL REPORT OF).

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Leave.

Sib, — Stores Control Board, Wellington, 9th August, 1929. I have the honour to submit herewith the annual report of the Stores Control Board for the period ended 31st March, 1929. I have, &c., F. J. Brooker, Secretary. The Hon. E. A. Ransom, Chairman, Stores Control Board. REPORT. Purchases. During the year ended 31st March, 1929, the total expenditure on stores amounted to the sum of £4,199,822 15s. 5d., made up as follows : — Department. Amount Railways .. ..- .. .. .. 1,951,127 19 9 Public Works .. .. .. .. .. 928,608 2 1 Post and Telegraph .. .. .. .. 484,218 18 4 Mental Hospitals .. .. .. .. .. 185,755 13 1 Naval .. .. .. .. .. .. 110,142 15 5 Defence.. .. .. .. .. .. 83,671 17 10 Printing and Stationery .. .. .. .. 64,414 19 2 Health .. .. .. .. .. .. 53,707 0 9 Prisons .. .. .. .. .. .. 48,922 16 3 Lands and Survey . . .. .. .. 39,258 17 0 Education .. .. .. .. .. 35,678 ]5 10 State Forest Service .. .. .. ' .. 35,621 7 5 Mines .. .. .. .. .. .. 33,950 6 2 Agriculture .. .. .. .. .. 32,777 9 8 Marine .. .. .. .. .. .. 21,592 12 7 Other Departments .. .. .. .. 90,373 4 1 Total .. .. .. ..£4,199,822 15 5 With the exception of a few instances in which the circumstances were too urgent to allow of the usual procedure being followed, tenders or quotations were invited for the whole of the stores required. For the requisitioning Departments 10,465 purchase requisitions were dealt with, and 478 departmental contracts were arranged for daily supplies, mostly perishable foodstuffs, &c. These figures do not include the requisitions or contracts dealt with by the three purchasing Departments (Railways, Public Works, Post and Telegraph) on account of their own Departments. The number of items in a purchase requisition is often very considerable, sometimes exceeding one hundred, and they are additional to the purchases made by Departments under the general contracts referred to in the next following paragraph.