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STORAGE During the year many applications were received from Government Departments and private firms for storage space. The demand for space to store wool still continues. Assistance in this direction was given to wool brokers in Auckland, Wanganui, Wellington, and Christchurch. No doubt further demands will be received from various firms during the next wool season, and it is confidently anticipated that the storage space available will meet the demand. The leases of many buildings leased by the Government during the war for storage purposes have now been cancelled. To a great extent this has been accomplished by re-warehousing Government stores in buildings constructed during the war and now set aside for storage. The Ministry exercises a firm control over storage space, and it is hoped in the near future that additional buildings will become available either for Government purposes or for leasing to private firms. WORKS: PROGRESS AND COSTS The new system for reporting progress on major works which was referred to in my last report has continued to provide progress information which is valuable to Head Office, where it permits the keeping of control records of works completed and in hand. During the year the calculation and recording of costs by machines was developed sufficiently to permit the placing of orders for the necessary machine equipment, which is being purchased from Great Britain. The formulation of the detailed system and procedure received much attention, and has advanced to the stage where on arrival the machines can be used to full advantage with a minimum of delay. In the interim new manual costing systems similar to that to be provided by the machines were introduced on several major works so that a maximum of experience could be gained prior to the arrival of the machines. CONCLUSION During the next decade it is unlikely that there will be any lessening of the demands on the building and construction industry. Provided the essential material, man-power, and financial resources are available, we will witness during these years developmental changes which will have far-reaching effects on the economic and social structure of this country. With this in view the Ministry of Works and the Public Works Department, by Cabinet direction, are being merged into one organization, as it is considered that under a unified control the whole resources of the combined organization will work for greater economy and more effective administration than by continuing as separate Departments. It is again my pleasing duty to record appreciation of the co-operation received from all those Government Departments, local bodies, and private organizations with which the Ministry has been associated during a most difficult year. lam confident of receiving their continued help, as only by the assistance of all will it be possible to speed up the completion of the big programme of developmental works referred to in the ten-year schedules. During the year the Ministry suffered a great loss through the death of Mr. T. G. G. Beck, Deputy Commissioner of Works, who by his zeal and engineering ability and experience was recognized as a distinguished personality in the engineering profession. The Ministry suffered another serious loss in the death of Mr. A. P. Grant, Engineer to

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