STORES CONTROL BOARD (ANNUAL REPORT OF).

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1939 Session I, H-04

H. -4.

1939. NEW ZEALAND.

STORES CONTROL BOARD (ANNUAL REPORT OF).

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Leave.

Stores Control Board, Wellington, 13th September, 1939. The Hon. R. Semple, Chairman, Stores Control Board. I have the honour to submit herewith the annual report of the Stores Control Board for the year ended 31st March, 1939. P. Ellekm, Secretary.

REPORT. Purchases. During the year ended 31st March, 1939, the expenditure on the purchase of stores was as shown hereunder :— Year ended 3.lst March, 1939. £ Railways .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 4,002,346 Public Works .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2,448,779 Post and Telegraph .. .. .. .. .. .. 808,704 Air .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 371,522 Army .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .359,644 Native .. .. .... .. .. .. 352,953 Mental Hospitals .. .. .. .. .. .. 217,856 Naval.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 209,957 Lands and Survey .. .. .. .. .. .. 129,861 Printing and Stationery .. .. .. .. . .. .. 120,632 State Forest Service .. .. .. .. .. .. 104,895 Education .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 88,031 Mines .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 86,558 Housing Construction .. .. .. .. .. .. 67,115 Agriculture .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 58,581 Health .. .. .. .. .. .. " 57,631 Industries and Commerce, Tourist and Publicity .. .. .. 50,400 Justice and Prisons .. .. .. .. .. .. 47,179 National Broadcasting Service .. .. .. .. .. 44,715 Marine .. .. .. .. .. .. .... 28,932 Scientific and Industrial Research .. .. .. .. 26,977 National Commercial Broadcasting Service .. .. .. 26,919 External Affairs .. .. .. ... .. .. 24,819 Pensions .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 17,286 Transport .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 13,820 Land and Income Tax .. .. . . .. , ■ . . .. 13,306 Police.. .. .. .. .. .. .... .. 10,766 Labour (Employment Division) .. .. .. .. .. 10,462 Internal Affairs . . . . .. . . . . . . 9,422 State Fire .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 9,069 Labour .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Bjol4 Other Departments .. .. .. ~ ~ 20,003 £9,847,154

H.—4

The above return of stores purchased includes all articles of a consumable or non-consumable nature required in carrying out the services of Government Departments, including books, forms, stationery, and office requisites, furniture, fittings, mechanical office appliances, motor-cars and other vehicles, implements, plant and machinery, live-stock, and all Government personal property of any description. When compared with the year ended 31st March, 1938, the amount expended in the purchase of stores for all Government Departments during the year ended 31st March, 1939, shows an increase of £2,332,091. The total amounts expended during each of the past ten years were as under : — £ £ 1930 .. .. .. 4,345,030 1935 .. .. .. 2,939,642 1931 .. .. .. 4,286,803 1936 .. .. .. 3,251,814 1932 ..• .. .. 2,757,214 1937 .. .. .. 5,349,386 1933 \. .. .. 2,109,698 1938 .. .. .. 7,515,063 1934 .. .. .. 2,417,676 1939 .. .. .. 9,847,154 Contracts. At the 31st March, 1939, contracts arranged by the Board were in operation for the supply of the undermentioned items to all Departments : — Batteries for motor-vehicles. Bricks, earthenware pipes and fittings. Brushware, painters' and general. Candles, soap, and soda. Cement. Chain-mesh netting. Coal, coke, and firewood. Cream-separators. Cyclostyle stencils and correcting fluid. Diesel engines for driving milking-plant, &c. Disinfectant. Electric lamps. Fencing-wire. Fire-extinguishers. Galvanized sheets, corrugated and flat. Ink, cyclostyle, fountain-pen, and writing. Lawnmowers. Milking-machines. Motor-vehicle lubricating oils and greases. Motor-spirit and kerosene. Motor-tires. Office diaries. Oil fuels and lubricating-oil for Diesel engines. Oxygen, acetylene, and hydrogen gases. Paper, carbon, toilet, and wrapping. Polish, metal, floor, and boot. Sensitized papers and linens. Spare parts for motor-vehicles. Superphosphate and compound superphosphate fertilizers. Tubes and fittings, galvanized and malleable. Twine. Typewriters and typewriter-ribbons. Uniform clothing. In addition to the above, numerous departmental contracts were also arranged throughout the year, thejprincipal items concerned being : — Aero-engine lubricating-oil. Artificial limbs. Aviation spirit. Boots and shoes for Army and Air Departments. Creosote for Forestry Department. Crockery for Mental Hospitals Department. Foodstuffs (sugar, milk, bread, butter, meat, fish, hams, and bacon, &c.). Oil fuel for Government ships. Lubricating-oil for m.v. " Maui Pomare." Malted milk for milk-in-schools scheme. Medicines for Native schools. Samoan banana-cases. Skip-greaso and lubricating-oils for Mines Department. Tobacco for Mental Hospitals Department. Tooth-brushes for Naval ratings. The service rendered by contractors throughout the year has, in general, been efficient and satisfactory.

2

H.—4

The purchase of stores under period contracts covering the requirements of all Departments has proved both convenient and economical. Whilst the system of purchase under general contracts has been extended in a small degree during the year, the Board is fully cognizant of the advantages to be gained from bulk buying and action is being taken to extend the contract system in the near future. Standardization. The development of New Zealand standards by the New Zealand Standards Institute is a matter of distinct importance in the purchase of Government stores requirements. The value of standards is fully recognized by the Board, as by the use of standard specifications materials are described in terms intelligible to both the supplier and the purchasing officer. The supplier can therefore gauge the type and quality of the material required, whilst the work of the purchasing officer in reviewing tenders received is greatly facilitated, as tenders are submitted on a basis which renders them readily capable of comparison. The Board has a representative on the Council of the New Zealand Standards Institute, and by this means close co-operation with the Institute is maintained. Full use will be made of the Institute's organization in the promulgation of standard purchase specifications when the contract system of purchase is extended. Increased Activities. The increased activities of Government Departments are reflected in the total amount expended on stores, as indicated above. Extra work has been undertaken by the Board during the year in the purchase of sawmill machinery for the State Forest Service, reserve stocks of essential items for the armed Services, and additional items required as a result of the expansion of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Purchase of Seeds. The Department of Agriculture acts as the Board's Purchasing Department for seeds for all Government Departments, and purchases are arranged by the Department's Seed-testing Station at Palmerston North. The extent of the Department's purchasing activities can be gauged by the amount of £84,265 which was expended in the purchase of seeds during the year. Preference to Goods of Local and British Manufacture. The policy of preference to goods of New Zealand and British manufacture in the purchase of Government stores requirements has been maintained throughout the year. It is the settled policy of the Board to give preference to goods of local manufacture provided both quality and price are satisfactory. Considerable progress has been made in the range and variety of goods now being manufactured locally and during the past year items of stores not previously made in the Dominion have been obtained from New Zealand manufacturers.

Approximate Cost of Paper.—Preparation, not given ; printing (550 copies) £2 15s.

Authority: E. V. Paul, Government Printer, Wellington.—l 939.

Price 3d.]

3