deal with the case of an issue of stores to a Public Works just before the close of the year, and the replenishment taking place in the next. Suppose they will in practice avoid this by purchasing the stores as soon as possible after vote is passed. But in that case a difficulty will arise if the stores are not consumed to the full amount voted. Clearly the vote will have been expended and therefore cannot lapse and be revoted next year.
And yet the works will not have had such an amount as the actual consumption - in excess of the grant.
I should like to put this point to the Audit Office.
The system now proposed is substantially that studied in Malta early in 1892 (383 pp.). The difficulty about surplus votes indicated above will arise on 1894 Estimates.
I can only conclude that the votes for stores will depend the following year not on the Superintending Engineer's estimate simply, but on that Estimate qualified by the Storekeeper's balances. Otherwise the quantity of stores in hand might soon be accumulating indefinitely by means of the votes for stores being in excess.
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