H—4s

At the time the store was built assurances were given to the Wheat Committee that approximately 30,000 square feet of storage space would be _ made available for the Wheat Committee, and it was necessary to continue to provide this accommodation. Further, the Food Controller had no store available for sorting and storage of tea, and the Public Works Department was also in need of transit storage space for the removal of goods from wharf sheds. The Commission accepted the responsibility for the operation of the store on the understanding that if any financial loss was incurred due to the fact that wheat was being stored at the rate of 2d. per ton per week as against the usual storage rate of 6d. per ton per week, that any such loss would be reimbursed to the Commission from the Consolidated Fund. It will be seen under the comments in Accounts' Section that the Stores Account shows a small profit for the financial year ending 31st March, 1947. Apart from the storage of Government cargo, the store has also been used for storage of goods of private consignees to prevent congestion of wharf sheds. Goods for private consignees are only stored when the Commission is satisfied that alternative private storage accommodation is not available. During the eight months ended 31st March, 1947, 10,184 tons of cargo was received into store and 14,236 tons delivered ex store. The quantity on hand at Ist August, 1946, was 6,992 tons and the balance on hand at 31st March, 1947, was 2,940 tons. The reduced quantity of goods in store as at 31st March, 1947, was due to substantial clearances of wheat and tea. The Commission has also found it necessary to keep sufficient space available for the sorting of tea on behalf of the Food Controller. A shipment of approximately 1,000 tons arrived into store in April. The operation of the store was carried on very efficiently by the Commission's §tore staff at Auckland. 12. ACCOUNTS (a) GENERAL There have been several changes in the funds operated by the Commission during the year ended 31st March, 1947. The most important development concerned the establishment of a National Administration Fund (see Section (5) ) concurrently with the operation of daily and weekly minimum payments as from 10th March, 1947. The Order (No. 11) provided that " The assets and liabilities as at the date of the coming into force of this Order, of the National Pay Office Fund, Annual Holidays Act Fund, and General Administration Fund shall be deemed to be part of the National Administration Fund and shall be used for the purposes set out under (a) above " (clause 2(c)). The Commission has, in effect, consolidated all national funds, which are in the nature of administrative charges, into the one fund. This step also enables all levies of an administrative nature to be placed on a uniform hourly basis. A Guaranteed Wage reserve existed in the National Pay Office Fund, and unless it was considered desirable to create yet another separate fund for the purpose of financing the daily and weekly minimum payments, this would have been the fund to finance the new charges. The National Pay Office Fund, however, was financed by a percentage levy on income of other operating funds. This method of finance for charges, such as the daily and weekly minimum payments, which were related to the hours of work on the waterfront, was recognized as inequitable at the time when it was used in 1943-44 for the Industrial Rest Period Fund (see Sections (7) and (8), page 15, H.-45, 26th November, 1945). In the circumstances, therefore, it was considered preferable to convert the National Pay Office Fund percentage levy to a levy based on hours of work and combine the revised Pay Office levy with the annual holiday levy in the new National Administration levy of eighfpence (Bd.) per paid labour-hour. General Fund (Administration) finance, which was°based on assessments on other funds and which was intimately bound up with

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