H.—4.

1937. NEW ZEALAND.

STORES CONTROL BOARD (ANNUAL REPORT OF).

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Leave.

Stores Control Board, Wellington, 20tli August, 1937. The Hon. R. Seniple, Chairman, Stores Control Board. I have the honour to submit herewith the annual report of the Stores Control Board for the year ended 31st March, 1937. P. Ellerm, Secretary.

REPORT.

Purchases. During the year ended 31st March, 1937, the expenditure on the purchase of stores, as compared with the year ended 31st March, 1936, was as under : — Year ended Year ended 31st March, 1936. 31st March, 1937. £ £ Railways 1,495,279 1,923,502 Public Works .. .. •• 522,327 1,401,096 Post and Telegraph .. .. • • • ■ 344,387 805,624 Mental Hospitals .. ■■ ■■ 177,175 189,731 Native 110,579 162,417 Naval 69,471 199,892 Printing and Stationery .. .. •• •• 64,086 133,671 Defence .. •• •• 66,162 91,137 Lands and Survey • ■ • • • ■ • • 57, 344 62, 854 Education .. ■ ■ • • • ■ ■ ■ 38,265 41,966 Justice and Prisons .. .. ... •• 49,057 41,899 Health.. .. ■■ • • ■ • ■■ 29,821 39,854 Industries and Commerce, Tourist, and Publicity . . 29,151 37,062 Mines 21,083 30,981 Agriculture .. •• •• •• 26,453 26,022 State Forest Service . . 19,120 24,098 Marine 18,193 22,043 Labour —Employment Division .. .. .. 56,087 15,430 Scientific and Industrial Research .. .. .. 5,839 15,086 National Broadcasting Service .. . . .. •• 14,783 External Affairs .. .. ■■ 11,594 13,815 Internal Affairs .. . . . • • ■ • • 5,958 8, 970 Police .. . • • ■ • ■ • • ' • • 8,989 8,132 Labour 2,530 7,914 State Eire .. •• •• •• 6,211 5,948 Other Departments .. .. •• 16,653 25,459 £3,251,814 £5,349,386 The expenditure on stores during the year is the highest recorded since the Board was constituted in 1922, and exceeds the previous highest total recorded for the year ended 31st March, 1925, by £932,553. The increased expenditure of £2,097,572 for the year ended 31st March, 1937, as compared with the previous year, reflects the increased activities of Government Departments, particularly so in the case of the Public Works Department, which shows an increase of £878,769. The total amounts expended during each of the past ten years are as under : — £ £ 1928 .. .. 3,947,117 1933 .. .. .. 2,109,698 1929 .. .. 4,199,822 1934 .. .. .. 2,417,676 1930 .. .. .. 4,345,030 1935 .. • • 2,939,642 1931 .. .. 4,286,803 1936 .. .. .. 3,251,814 1932 .. .. ■■ 2,757,214 1937 .. .. .. 5,349,386