H.—4.

1932. NEW ZEALAND.

STORES CONTROL BOARD (ANNUAL REPORT OF).

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Leave.

Stores Control Board, Wellington, 10th October, 1932. The Right Hon. J. GvCoates, Chairman, Stores Control Board. I have the honour to submit herewith the annual report of the Stores Control Board for the period ended 31st March, 1932. P. Ellerm, Acting-Secretary.

REPORT.

Purchases. During the year ended 31st March, 1932, the total expenditure in the purchase of stores amounted' to the sum of £2,757,214, as compared with £4,286,803 for the year ended 31st March, 1931, made up as under :— Year ending Year ending 31st March, 1931. 31st March, 1932. £ £ Railways .. .. .. .. .. 1,739,133 1,048,570 Public Works .. .. .. .. .. 1,368,394 859,666 Post and Telegraph .. .. .. .. 347,273 124,114 Mental Hospitals .. .. .. .. 190,515 170,809 Naval .. .. .. .. .. .. 87,458 74,898 Defence .. .. .. .. .. 29,144 18,238 Health.. .. .. .. .. .. 44,327 37,111 Printing and Stationery .. .. .. .. 78,548 32,281 Prisons .. .. .. .. .. 49,316 42,169 Lands and Survey .. .. .. .. 39,269 34,323 Education .. .. .. .. .. 50,370 29,034 State Forest Service .. .. .. .. 26,584 11,927 Agriculture .. .. .. .. .. 36,153 42^083 Marine.. .. .. .. .. .. 27,243 16,760 Mines .. .. .. .. .. .. 26,999 19,021 Native .. .. .. .. .. .. 48,050 117,465 Industries and Commerce, Tourist, and Publicity .. 20,837 21,274 Other Departments .. .. .. .. 77,190 57,471 Total .. .. .. .. .. £4,286,803 £2,757,214 The purchases during the previous years were as under :— £ £ 1924 .. .. .. 4,080,000 1928 .. .. .. 3,947,117 1925 4,416,833 1929 4,199,822 1926 .. .. .. 4,690,569 1930 .. .. .. 4,345,030 1927 .. .. .. 3,877,275 As an indication of the extent to which expenditure has been reduced by Government Departments the total amount paid for stores during the year shows a. decrease of £1,529,590 when compared with the previous year, which is a reduction of over 35 per cent. With the exception of a few instances where the circumstances were too urgent to allow of the usual procedure being followed, tenders or quotations were invited for the whole of the stores purchased,