STORES FOR THE GOVERNMENT

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22512, 21 September 1938, Page 10

STORES FOR THE GOVERNMENT

MORE THAN £7,000,000 EXPENDED HIGHEST YEARLY FIGURE FOR TEN YEARS A short but interesting Government publication, the annual report of the Stores Control Board, which has just been issued, shows that during the year ended March 31, 1938, the expenditure on the purchase of stores by the Government was £7,515,063. During the previous year, it was £5,349,3,86, so that there was an increase during the year reported on of £2,165,677. Commenting on this the report states: "While this increase is due mainly to heavier orders ' placed by Government departments, as a result of increased activities, it is also, to a lesser extent, due to market increases in the prices paid for many of the items purchased both locally and overseas."

The total expended during- the last financial year was easily the highest figure recorded under that heading for the last 10 years. In 1929 the total was £4,199,822. It fell as low as £2,109,698 in the depression year- of 1933, but rose steadily in following years. The, department contributing the biggest share of the increase in the expenditure of stores (and with the biggest individual total for the 1937-38 year) was the Railway Department. Its purchases amounted to £2,721,427 (£1,923,502 in the previous year). A close second, the Public Works Department purchased stores valued at £2,136,076 (£1,401,096 in the-previous year). No other department reached anything near the figures of either of these leading departmental spenders. The report points out that the policy Qf preference to goods of New Zealand and British manufacture has been maintained throughout the year. "In the purchase of stores for Government use special consideration is given to locally-manufactured items, and provided New Zealand manufacturers can supply goods of satisfactory quality at competitive prices, after allowing the usual preference, they can be assured of the board's support." .