GOVERNMENT STORES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1730, 22 April 1913, Page 6

GOVERNMENT STORES.

AN IMPROVED SYSTEM OF I CONTROL. NEW REGULATIONS, Complete regulations governing tho pro» curing of stores for Government Departments havo just been issued by the Public Service-Commissioners. Hitherto no definite set'of regulations has been issued, but rules have been observed which to an extent correspond with the substance of tlio regulations now issued. The new regulations provide for the establishment or'a special board to receive and deal with tenders for stores. Hitherto these tenders have had to bo received by tlia Tenders Board, consisting of the Minister for Pub. lie Works, tlio Under-Secretary for Public Works, the General Manager of ltail-' ways, the Engineer in Chief to the Public Works Department, tho Electrical Engineer to tho same Department, and the Government Architect. This body exists primarily to deal with tenders for important public contracts, but up to tho present it has had to deal nlso with tenders for all sorts of stores, such as provisions, material for uniforms, and so forth. This has involved the members of the board spending their time upon matters of petty detail of which they havo 110 export khowledge. Sucli matters, under tho new regulations, will bo dealt with'by a special board.

The regulations, as framed deal, with every aspect of stores administration, and provide lor tho different conditions under which stores may be obtained for Departmental purposes. They provide nlso ioi the appointment of a Tender _ Board, and set out tho procedure which tho board should follow in carrying out its duties. Tho regulations further prescribo tho duties, from an administrative point of view, of officers in cliargo of stores and enumerate the; practices to be followed in the purchase, inspection, custody, or issue ' of stores. They also provide for tlio practiced to be followed 111 stocktaking and audit. Tho regulations are based upon the latest methods adopted ill 6tores administration as applied by Government Departments. The Regulations will havo tho effect of securing uniformity in all matters of stores administration.

It is provided that, stores shall bo procured in the following manner:—(a) By public tender; (b) by competitive quotation whero the value does not exceed JCIOO in any olio item; (c) by purchase . in casss of emergency under special conditions hereafter denned: Provided always that the practice adopted in procuring stores through the High Commissioner shall not be . governed by thes«. regulations. Tlio Stares Tender Board'is to consist of one officer from each of tho following Departments:—Public Works, Lands, Post and Telegraph, Government Printing Office, Justice, and Mental Hospital. The board is to elect a chairman at tlia end of each financial year. Questions arising aro to be decided bjr a majority, of toes, tlio chairman having a casting vote. Three members are to form a quorum and no tender is to.be opened unless a quorum is present. Tho board haa power to call for expert assistance when it is required. - - " A secretary is to bo appointed whose duty it will be to keep s minutes and other records of tho procceaings of tho board. Ho is also to receive deposits and perform 6uch other duties as (he board directs. 1 The duties of tho Tender Board* it is provided, shall bo to secure uniformity ns far as practicable in the (jomlitionß anil specifications of all contracts, aud soo thttt tho conditions imposed meet tho requirements of the Departments concerned. Stores not exceeding XIOO ill value in aijv one class may bo procured by competitive quotation, tlio Department requiring tho stores issuing quotation' forms to persons and apposition to supply sucli stores. Where it is not. 111- . tended to accept .the lowest quotation, the matter must first bo submitted to tlio Minister of tho Department for approval. In special cases stores of small valuemay be qbtained, or repairs effected, mid • paid for by" tlio p'crmaheii't heM W !i De-/\ v partment or an officer authorised. Ivo 0110 requisition of this kind is to bo m excess/of J6lO. A return of all such, transactions is to bo mado monthly -to tlio' Minister. The chairman of tlio Stores Tender Board may also authorise tlio put-' cliaso of stores to a value sufficient to copo with a particular emergency. Every such ease is to bo reported to tlio Tender Board and placed 011 record. Permanent heads of Departments ore ■ required to draft rules for the guidance of everyone employed in connection with the management and control of ■ stores. These rules nro to be based wherever practicable on tho principle that requires concurrence of knowledge and action upon the part of two or more officials to consummate a transaction. Betoro ' the rules areata bo submitted to the lub-. lie Service Commissioner for approval. Officers in charge of stores are mado responsible for:— ■ (a) Tho efficient management and ccon-. , omical control of the stores branch. (h) The purchase, receipt, inspection, custody, issue, disposal of stores, and all other matters relating thereto. (c) Tho discipline, good conduct, and effective work of the 6tuft" under their coil'Td) Seeing that, in every division of tho work, system and good order prevail."- • ' (e) Seeing that all Acts reflations, and instructions aro carefully, observed, and that copies of such ar© | reg:istered aua kept in tho stores office, and that members of the brnncli who should possess an intimate knowledgel of any, contracts illexistence, o> any other business affecting the purchase, receipt, inspection, custody, issuA *1(1 disposal of stores, are supplied with such particulars as will enable them , to possess a full and completo understanding thereof. .. , . Detail instructions arc supplied for tiw guidance of bfficers in the ceipt, custody, and issue of stores, stock taking, inspection, ctc.