A 39
L
12. The contract for the new Central Store was let in April, 1939, and the building was due for completion in December following, but due to the delay in the arrival of materials from England on account of the war, the premises were not ready for occupation at the end of the year under review, though it was expected that they would be ready in February, 1940.
13. There has been an appreciable expansion in the work of the Department since its inauguration, and this will be readily apparent from the particulars of the turnover during 1939. This expansion has necessitated a considerable amount of internal re-organisation, and with the improved accommodation soon to become available, the Department will be materially assisted in the direction of greater efficiency and economy in the purchase and distribution of stores.
II. UNALLOCATED STORES.
14. In the past, purchases of stores were normally debited to the Unallocated Stores (Suspense) Account and only charged to Heads of Expenditure when allocated to the use of particular departments or services. The effect was that part of the Colony's nominal surplus balance was used in the purchase of stores. The funds which could be so allocated were limited under instructions from the Secretary of State to approximately six months' supply, but did not come directly under the control of the Legislature.
15. Certain changes in accounting procedure set out in the Secretary of State's circular despatch of the 25th November, 1937 (published in Sessional Paper No.9 of 1938) were brought into effect in the year under review.
16. These changes in financial procedure were designed to secure that the accounts correctly disclose the funds available to meet approved expenditure and also to serve the even more important purpose of preserving to the Legislature the fullest control over appropriation.
17. The purchase of stores during 1939 has been met from voted moneys and not from surplus funds. The actual amount spent on the purchase of stores is authorised in a separate sub-head—Unallocated Stores—in the Estimates as part of the Expenditure Head of the Stores Department. All purchases, returns, and charges during the financial year have been debited to this sub-head, and the value of stores issued to departments or services during the same period was charged to the proper sub-head in the Estimates of the departments concerned. Cash receipts from the sale of stores were credited to a sub-head of Miscellaneous Revenue.
18. The sanction of the Secretary of State is required, as before, to establish a stock of Unallocated Stores within a defined maximum. The amount approved by the Secretary of State for the year 1939 was $1,000,000, as compared with $750,000 for the year 1938. The increase in the maximum standard stock for the year 1939 was due to the increased cost of stores and to the necessity for holding ample reserve stocks as a precaution against interruption of supplies.
19. The bulk of the requirements of locally purchased stores were obtained under contracts which were let for periods of six or twelve months according to the nature of the commodity required. Contracts for the general stores are detailed in Appendix I.
20. In addition to the general stores contracts, special contracts were made on behalf of departments for the following services:—
Uniform Clothing; Boots and Shoes; Gestetner Materials; Typewriters: Asphaltum; Oils and Greases; Coal; Sand and Transportation of Stores.