Stores Section.
143. The stores section of this sub-department handled 13,574 receipt vouchers covering 47,418 items with approximate total value of $2,162,000 and 78,728 issue vouchers covering 154,556 items with an approximate total value of $2,012,000.
54 indents on the Crown Agents with an approximate total value of $396,000 were prepared and forwarded during the year and 89 indents were prepared for other departments. All stores held on charge were inspected and checked by one Special Board and one Annual Board of Survey.
PORT WORKS OFFICE.
Chief Engineer, H. W. Forsyth, B.Eng., A.M.N.Z.Inst.E., A.M.Inst.C.E.
General.
144. The activities of this branch of the Department fall roughly under four main heads—the maintenance of piers and seawalls including dredging; new construction work on reclamations and public piers; investigations and designs for future works, and the administration of a materials testing laboratory.
Maintenance.
145. The repair and maintenance of the Colony's public piers were carried out under an annual maintenance contract and consisted largely of the renewal of fender systems with repairs to hand-rails and decking and the painting of steel work. A small direct labour gang completed a four-year programme of restoration by guniting of those reinforced concrete sub-structures to piers which had been neglected during the war years. This party of trained men was then transferred to the Drainage Office for similar restoration work under the control of that office.
146. With a tidal flow of between one and three knots through the harbour from the east and west entrances, the port is fortunate in not having a major dredging problem. Over the
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