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a table at our request which gives figures varying from 844,915 to sums under $100,000 with the exception of the two years 1904/1905 when the amounts reached over £200,000. The reason for this Expendi- -ture was due in the Main Extension of Tytam Thik Water Supply Scheines which can hardly be classed as either a recurrent work or unforeseen Expenditure.
It would seem then that the way to arrive at a Stand- -ard Stock would be for the Director of Public Works to lay down the quantity of the various Stores required annually for Recurrent works and minor extensions to be purchased from England, and to price them accordingly.
The expenditure on such works in the ten years, omit- -ting the expenditure for Tytam Tuk Water Supply Scheme, which amount- -ed to $220.237 has been $761,985 giving an average of 876,198 per annum varying between a minimum of $44,915 and a maximum of $123,035 which however include $34,819 for a reconstruction of a Tank.
The difficulties of obtaining materials in time to keep Stock down, to a given amount have been pointed out by Hr. Chatham, so that at first sight it would seem that the amount of standard stock should be fixed at about $100,000.
possible:-
The following scheme however would make reduction
(a). Tenders should be called for by the Crown Agents for the supply of Stock materials every year, or even two years, such Con- -tract to hold for all orders placed within that year or period for which the contract holds. This would enable the time required for sending out stores to be considerably shortened owing to there being no necessity of calling for tenders every time an indent is submitted.
(b). Code words should be agreed on for each class and item of Stores, in order, that should any unforeseen work of any magnitude, such as the lè miles of pipes to which the Director of Public Works referred, be necessary, a code message can be sent home for the supply of the stores required. The periodical fixed Contract system would ensure that the order could be placed in England two days after the necessity arose in the Colony. The adoption of these proposals -