D.—2.

STORES BRANCH. An analysis of the amount expended in connection with the purchases of stores during the year is as under — £ s. d. To merchants, manufacturers, and others in New Zealand .. 633,094 16 5 Through Trade Commissioner in Australia .. .. .. 110,143 6 5 Through High Commissioner in London .. .. .. 651,226 11 8 Material manufactured in railway workshops .. .. .. 332,062 19 1 Coal and coke .. .. . • . • • • • ■ 529,037 8 1 Manufactured and used material recovered from other branches, &c. 90,019 17 3 Timber from railway sawmill and stores used .. . 29,913 0 11 £2,375,497 19 10 The net increase in the year's expenditure compared with the previous year was £567,907 12s. 2d. The principal increases were —To merchants, manufacturers, and others in New Zealand, £171,806 Is. 4d.; through High Commissioner in London, £205,171 10s. 3d. ; material manufactured in railway workshops, £117,256 10s. 4d.; coal and coke, £57,258 Is. 2d. ; and timber from railway sawmill and stores used, £19,095 17s. sd. There was a decrease of £6,012 19s. 4d. under the head " Through Trade Commissioner in Australia." The increases enumerated above are due to the purchase of (1) materials for building programmes, (2) extra stocks of native and hardwood timber, and (3) imported materials. The payment of exchange in connection with purchases arranged through the High Commissioner, London, also involved considerable expenditure. There has been a general increase in the costs of material. The total issues to all branches for the year amounted to £2,301,504 9s. 7d., compared with £1,900,970 2s. 9d. for the previous year, an increase of £4-00,534 6s. lOd. A summary for six years showing the value of purchases and issues of stores (exclusive of coal), together with the value of stocks on hand (stores and coal), at the close of each year, is as under: —

COAL-SUPPLIES. The average consumption of coal per week during the year ended 31st March, 1937, was 8,830 tons, which was an increase of 315 tons per week compared with the previous year. A comparison of the purchases of New Zealand and imported fuel for eight years ended 31st March, 1937, is as follows New Zealand. Per Cent. Imported. Per Cent. Total. Year. Tons. of Total. Tons. of Total. Tons. 1929-30 .. 355,214 74-59 121,037 25-41 476,251 1930-31 .. •• 367,686 90-00 40,827 10-00 408,513 1931-32 .. .. 373,335 89-72 42,756 10-28 416,091 1932,33 .. .. 388,005 100-00 .. .. 388,005 1933-34 .. .. 381,596 100-00 .. .. 381,596 1934-35 .. .. 422,334 100-00 .. .. 422,334 1935-36 .. ..437,959 100-00 .. .. 437,959 1936-37 .. .. 433,795 100-00 .. .. 433,795 It will be noted that the purchases during the year were again all in New Zealand coal. Of these purchases 212,060 tons were hard coal and 221,735 tons soft coal. FORESTRY BRANCH. During the year 112 piles for use by the Maintenance Branch were cut at the Ngongotaha and Rotorua plantations. Thinning and clear felling operations were carried out at certain plantations in the South Island, and the following firewood was cut: Rolleston, 38 .cords ; Burnham, 991 cords; Chertsey, 504 cords ; and Stewart's Gully, 164 cords. In addition, certain trees were cleared away from the signal-wires at Weedons and Rolleston, these trees, up to 31st December, 1936, having yielded 62 cords of firewood and 24 piles. At Temuka 30 cords of firewood were cut.

XXIV

Stocks on Hand. Year. Purchases. Issues. j Stores. Coal. Total. £ £ £ £ £ 1932 .. 852,044 1,018,616 481,056 181,073 662,129 1933 . 755,100 875,285 360,871 165,576 526,447 1934 .. 1,059,879 969,067 451,683 157,637 609,320 1935 . .. 1,269,171 1,136,243 584,611 160,177 744,788 1936 .. 1,436,696 1,400,858 622,899 144,888 767,787 1937 .. .. 1,971,314 .1,719,414 874,800 107,653 982,453