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1925. NEW ZEALAND.

STORES CONTROL BOARD (ANNUAL REPORT OF).

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Leave.

Sir, — Stores Control Board, Wellington, 24th July, 1925. I have the honour to submit herewith the annual report of the Stores Control Board for the period ended 31st March, 1925. I have, &c., F. J. Brookes, Secretary. The Hon. J. G. Coates, Chairman, Stores Control Board.

REPORT. Purchases. —During the year ended the 31st March, 1925, the total expenditure on stores amounted to the sum of £4,416,833 Is. lid. With the exception of a few instances in which the requirements 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 Department, 10,854 requisitions were dealt with and 488 contracts were arranged for daily supplies, mostly perishable foodstuffs, &c. These figures do not include the requisitions and contracts dealt with by the three purchasing Departments (Railways, Public Works, and Post and Telegraph) on account of their own Departments. General contracts covering the requirements of all Departments were arranged on favourable terms for the supply of cement, typewriters, motor-spirit, motor lubricating-oils, motortires, kerosene, " Ford " spare parts, and " Overland " spare parts. Central Bureaux. —Central bureaux for the display of quotation schedules have been established at Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin. The schedules have proved a convenience to merchants and other suppliers. At the same time they have reduced the number of office inquiries and thus lessened the demands made on the Purchasing Officers' time. Inspection of Stores in the United Kingdom. —The procedure followed relative to the inspection of stores and materials in the United Kingdom has been reviewed. On the retirement of Sir Duncan Elliott, who was for many years Inspecting Engineer to the New Zealand Government, temporary arrangements were made for inspection pending a full examination of the terms and conditions of the agreement. A committee consisting of the Chief Engineers of the Public Works, Railways, and Post and Telegraph Departments was appointed for the purpose. After the position had been fully investigated, Mr. R. J. Harvey was appointed. The -scale of fees agreed upon and the terms and conditions of the appointment, will result in a considerable saving to the Dominion. Preference to Local and British Industries. —One of the first matters considered by the Board after its constitution was that of preference to local and British manufacturers when competing with foreign manufacturers. With the approval of Cabinet it was decided to grant local manufacturers preference over all competitors, and British manufacturers preference over foreign manufacturers. The degree of preference granted is substantial in each instance, being based generally on the Customs tariff.