CAB129-37 — Page 194

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255. All Petrol Oil and Lubricant supplies for the Southern Province were sent in drums, and although supplies were sent in rail tankers to Kongwa and Urambo, the fuel had there to be decanted into drums for storage and eventual distribution. This was a wasteful practice and the Corporation began to install the equipment necessary for economic distribution.

Immense Variety of Purchases

256. Among the hundreds of items, which had to be bought were the various consumable stores of different departments; a great variety of build- ing materials; special instruments and equipment for the scientific and techni- cal work; all kinds of medical supplies and equipment; jute goods; seeds, fer- tilisers and chemicals; water-supplies equipment such as storage tanks and steel casing for the use of well-boring contractors; hundreds of vehicles of all kinds; tractors, cranes and much other machinery and spare parts.

At the London End

257. Before March 31, 1948, supplies for East Africa were purchased by the United Africa Company's Buying Department on demands received from East Africa. On April 1, 1948, the Corporation decided to introduce direct buying, and this came into force on April 20, 1948, after which a minimum of goods was purchased through buying agents.

258. Purchases from Ministry of Supply disposals sources diminished during the year, partly due to their stocks becoming exhausted and partly due to new equipment becoming more readily available.

PART VI: SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

Operational Research Unit

259. In January, 1949, the Board decided to establish an Operational Research Unit, with headquarters at Kongwa. Tests made in Great Britain of machinery, plant and equipment designed for use in East Africa had not been of practical value, for soil and weather conditions at home are seldom comparable with those in East Africa. Yet there was no organisation in that country equipped and in existence for the sole purpose of conducting objective research into machines, processes and techniques that were being offered to or used by the Corporation.

260. The Operational Research Unit was given the duty of carrying out research into land-clearing, agricultural, civil engineering and transport problems, and the plant and machinery used by these departments, and to make economic assessments of new processes and methods of development. For the time being it was placed under the overall direction of the General Manager (Agriculture) while its staff of twelve men was drawn from experi- enced members of the land-clearing, engineering and agricultural departments. A cost accountant was added to the staff. The Unit receives advice from the Chief Scientific Officer, the Corporation's Geologist, and the General Manager (Engineering).

261. The Unit has concentrated mainly on applied research on equipment already held by the Corporation, particularly on much of the harvesting machinery now in use. Great credit is due to the O.R.U. for the successful work that it did in the development and improvement of the chain cable method of flattening.

262. Work has begun on the building of a workshop and laboratory for the Unit.Page 194 of 1097

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