51

D.—2a

supplies under them. Three purchasing Departments have been appointed-—viz., the Railway, Public Works, and Post and Telegraph Departments —and it is left to each of these Departments to call for tenders for particular items. Contracts are let for specific quantities and for estimated quantities, the latter usually being on annual or two-yearly contracts. In each of the Store districts there is a Supplies and Tenders Committee, this being composed of the District Storekeeper, Railways ; District Storekeeper, Public Works Department ; and the District Engineer, Post and Telegraph Department. They meet regularly to deal with stores matters and to agree on purchases. The following table shows the stores and materials purchased during the year ended 31st March, 1924 :—

Stores Branch.-Purchase of Stores and Material during Year ended 31st March, 1924.

Stores Branch. —Value of Stores Stock on Hand and Sawmill Balances at the End of Financial Years 1914—24.

B—-D.8 —-D. 2A.

P1 •„ + - Payments made in Payments made Classification. New Zealand. through High j Totals. Commissioner, j £ s. d. ■ £ s. d. £ s. d. General stores .. .. .. .. 304,023 17 6 119,963 10 3 423,987 7 9 Oils .. .. .. .. .. 54,272 9 10 83 6 5 54,355 16 3 Permanent-way material .. .. .. 2,625 19 1 113,635 jl 11 116,261 1 0 Sleepers, native .. .. .. .. 8,129 3 10 .. 8,129 3 10 Sleepers, Australian .. .. .. 49,195 8 7 .. 49,195 8 7 Timber, native .. .. .. .. 21,533 14 7 .. 21,533 14 7 Timber, imported .. .. .. 19,921 9 0 .. 19,921 9 0 Stationery .. .. .. .. 32,001 1 0 6,944 7 11 38,945 8 11 Stores expenses —including salaries, wages, 57,341 18 10 4,940 15 4 62,282 14 2 transport costs, maintenance, inspection, and all charges Intermediate totals.. .. .. 549,045 2 3 245,567 1 10 794,612 4 1 Sawmills .. .. .. .. 148,213 15 1 .. 148,213 15 1 Coal and coke .. .. .. .. 637,492 1 8 .. 637,492 1 8 Intermediate totals.. .. .. 1,334,750 19 0 245,567 1 10 1,580,318 0 10 A.O.L. stores .. .. .. .. 88,920 13 11 91,517 10 3 180,438 4 2 A.O.L. sawmill and factory .. .. 12,593 9 8 .. 12,593 9 8 R.I.A. stores .. .. .. .. 9,920 1 3 372 19 11 10,293 1 2 Grand totals .. .. .. 1,446,185 3 10 337,457 12 0 1,783,642 15 10 The annexed table gives the value of stores stock on hand and sawmill balances for the last eleven years. These figures, of course, exclude value of stores in hands of other branches, as previously noted.

I ; ! 1 Stores, Stock, Value, Sawmills, Year ending 31st March. including Plant, and ' A.O.L. Stocks. R.I.A. Stocks. Total. Coal. Timber. J £ £ £ ! £ £ 1914 .. .. .. 403,454 43,561 38,205 .. 485,220 1915 .. .. .. 351,270 62,708 13,689 .. 427,667 1916 .. .. .. 345,153 80,372 25,945 .. 451,470 1917 .. .. .. 287,272 98,023 15,212 .. 400,507 1918 .. .. .. 312,204- 111,924 13,244 .. 437,372 1919 .. .. .. 418,897 131,544 19,439 .. 569,880 1920 .. .. 721,062 113,323 46,378 14,176 894,939 1921 .. .. .. 1,436,890 116,832 137,264 13,525 1,704,511 1922 .. .. .. 1,375,644 169,864 542,770 11,920 2,100,198 1923 .. .. .. 793,156 214,4-33 132,729 12,383 1,152,701 1924 .. .. .. 558,258 257,408 93,132 9,173 974,741 56,770* Totals .. .. 7,959,253 1,401,646 1,242,090' 61,177 10,664,166 * Sawmill and factory.