UNDER THE PRESENT SYSTEM

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 116, 13 November 1923, Page 4

UNDER THE PRESENT SYSTEM

WHERE SAVINGS MAY BE EFFECTED.

The illustrations of actual buying under existing methods were as follow :— Timber: Totara (period of 12 months)— Number of individual orders 60; quantity, 17,871 sup. feet; purchase price, £533; price if brought direct, £438; saving, £95, approximately 20 per cent. White pine (period 12 months)— Orders, ■59: quantity, 22,469 sup. feet; cost, £302; if bought direct,' £252; saving, £50, or approximately 20 per cent. Although a known saving of £145 on the requirements of one 'department only for-.the. .above timber could have been made by direct buying, outside quotations, indicate that further savings could be made' by concentration of buying. It is anticipated that equivalent savings could also be effected with re^ gard to other,classes of timber used by the Corporation.'- '

General Kequirements.—The following priceß were actually paid by different departments of the Corporation for similar articles procured over a period of one month :—Pick handles, per dozen, 26s and 365, (Variation 38 per cent.'■; staples, per cwt,.2ss and 46s Bd, variation 84 per cent.; brilliant shine, per dozen 9s 9d and 12s 9d, variation 30 per cent.; Hubbock's whito lead,, per. cwt, 63s and 71s, 'variation 12j per cent.; Hubbock's rod lead, per cwt. 55s and 645, variation 16 per cent.; Anchor axlo greaSe, per cwt 50s and.6os, variation .20 per cent. ■ . •"

The following illustrates the variations in tho prices paid by departments for "similar articles over a poriod of three months:—

Lautern globes (hurricane), per dozen 103 and 17s, variation 70. per cent.: nails, lead-head, per cwt 41s 6d and 65s 4d, 55 per cent. ; ; putty, per cwt, 27s 6d and 325, 15 per cent;-barbod wire, 6in, per cwt 28s and 31s, 10 per cent.; barbed wire, American No. 10, per ewt 19s 9d and 255, 25 per cent.; cotton waste, per cwt, 55s and 93s 4d, 70 per xent.; toilet paper, per gross 50s and 695, 38 per cent.; shovels, per dozen 80s 6d and 955, 17 per cent. The council will realise from the above how costly' and inefficient the present method is, and the necessity for an immediate and radical change. '