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1930. NEW ZEALAND

STORES CONTROL BOARD (ANNUAL REPORT OF).

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Leave.

Sir, — Stores Control Board, Wellington, 14th August, 1930. I have the honour to submit herewith the annual report of the Stores Control Board for the period ended 31st March, 1930. I have, &c., F. J. Bbooker, Secretary. The Hon. W. B. Taverner, Chairman, Stores Control Board. REPORT. Purchases. During the year ended 31st March, 1930, the total expenditure on stores amounted to the sum of £4,345,030 15s. lid. Department. Amount. Railways .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,990,700 17 2 Public Works .. .. .. .. .. .. 996,922 17 11 Post and Telegraph .. .. .. .. .. 519,040 9 4 Mental Hospitals .. .. .. .. .. .. 196,367 1 0 Naval .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 92,423 4 9 Defence .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 74,788 10 9 Health . . .. .. . . .. .. .. 61,414 6 11 Printing and Stationery .. .. .. .. .. 61,036 2 9 Prisons .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 51,090 6 3 Lands and Survey .. .. .. .. .. 40,362 15 6 Education .. .. .. .. .. .. 37,547 19 3 State Forest Service .. .. .. .. 35,087 3 10 Agriculture .. .. .. .. .. .. 33,380 17 10 Marine .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 25,428 16 9 Mines .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 22,546 6 7 Other Departments .. .. .. .. .. 106,892 19 4 Total .. .. .. .. .. £4,345,030 15 11 With the exception of a few instances in which the circumstances were too urgent to allow of the usual procedure being followed, tenders or quotations were invited for the whole of the stores required. For the requisitioning Departments 11,491 purchase requisitions were dealt with, and 470 departmental contracts were arranged for daily supplies, mostly perishable foodstuffs, &c. These figures do not include the requisitions or contracts dealt with by the three purchasing Departments (Railways, Public Works, Post and Telegraph) on account of their own Departments. The number of items in a purchase requisition is often very considerable, sometimes exceeding one hundred, and they are additional to the purchases made by Departments under the general contracts arranged by the Board.