CO129-572-13 Proposed reorganisation of control over purchase and maintenance of Government stores 4-3-1938 - 28-4-1938 — Page 8

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in 1923. As from the 1st of January, 1936, the purchase

of stores has been centralized, the Public Works Department

having been made responsible for the purchase of stores for all departments; and the building of a Central Store

has been commenced.

4. The system of central purchasing has proved successful in practice but I consider that further advantage

would be gained by the entire removal of the stores work

from the Public Works Department. At present the officer primarily responsible for the stores work is the Superintendent

of Accounts and Stores but he remains under the control of

the Director of Public Works and has not always the

authority necessary to control demands of other departments

or of engineers within the Public Works Department itself.

The present arrangement results on the one hand in the

Director of Public Works being placed in a dual position

as head of the principal spending department and head also

of the department controlling the issue of stores, and on the

other hand in his being given extra work since the

Superintendent of Accounts and Stores naturally has to turn

to him for support in any dispute with hea's of other

departments.

5. I am satisfied that the purchase of stores,

particularly local supplies, is a matter in which there is

room for considerable economy provided that it is under the

control of a competent officer engaged full time on that

work, and of sufficient status. The recent enquiry of the

Prison Comission has indicated that there is room for

considerable economy in the purchase of food for the Prison

and this is probably also true of the hospitals; but the

economy can only be secured by the constant supervision of an

officer in close touch with local conditions.