A GOOD YEAR.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 156, 7 August 1914, Page 11

A GOOD YEAR.

BUDGET FOR 1914. LOAN OF £2,000,000 FOR PUBLIC WORKS. IMPORTANT* PROPOSALS. LOCAL ■ GOVERNMENT REFORM [Prom our own Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, August 6. The Financial Statement for the year, which was brought down by the Minister of Finance (Hon. Mr Allen) is a bulky document, the essentials of which have been inade public at different times by Ministers outside and in the House. It is a comprehensive compilation of facts and figures, with more of departmental than public interest attaching to them. That a surplus of £426,905 should be shown on the year's work despite the loss of revenue entailed by the smallpox epidemic and the strike, is proof (the Minister' considers) not only of the recuperative powers of the Dominion, but of the sound, progressive, and careful administration of the Government. It is probable that the European crisis will cause the Government to modify its financial proposals. The principal points of the Budget are as follow':; — The revenue for 1914-15 is estimated at £12,488,370, out of which (plus the balance at March 31 last of £426,905) the Minister anticipates a surplus of £448,806.. . F.or , 1914-15 an expenditure of £12,466,469 is anticipated. The revenue for. the year amounted to £12,224,379, or £434,737 in excess of the and an increase-'of £490,317 over the revenue of the preceding year. The- expenditure for : the year was £11,825,864, or £174,871 under the estimate. In 1912-13 the total appropriation amounted to £11,082,038. '"..■'.' The amount available from the Public Works Fund at the beginning of the current year was £1,406,212. . At the end of the financial year the net Public Debt had reached the aggregate, of ,£91j689,835, of which public works were responsible for £51,959,593. The actual increase to our indebtedness during the year was £4,693,064. •Loan moneys to the amount of 69,990,865 are due in 1915. The Public Debt Sinking Fund, with interest accrued, now amounts to £464,258 to which will be added during the current financial year £169,404. The Public Service Commissioners estimate economies to the value of £65,000 per arinuni. Salaries, particularly in the' lower, grades, have been improved, and. a miriijamni wage for married'.men, ill .the Service,'established. .-..-. A sum of £25,000 will be placed on the Estimates to. build up . the Railways Superannuation Fund. The result of the year's working of the State Advances Office shows a profit of: £81,894 in the Settlers' Branch, an d £10,141 in the Workers' Branch. The Local Authorities Branch shows a loss of £3,129. The Minister states that there are now ample funds at the disposal of the Department for lending. • The" revenue received from the ■ Post and Telegraph' Department amounted to £1,257,53,7, ; exceeding that of the previous, yearjby £89,560. .„ The amount standing to the credit of depositors : in the Savings Bank was £17,181,414—-an increase of £801,156 over last ..year.'/. .• . The revenue of the Stamp Department amounted to £1,221,971, constituting a record. The Land Tax receipts (£767,451) were £38,815 better than in 1912-13. In the last five years the taxable value has increased by £34,249,856. In the same period the payers of the graduated tax increased by 1677. r ' ; Between April'l, 1912, and April 1, ~ 1913,- 31 persons owning land of an unimproved value of £30,000 and upwards sold 120,748 acres to 142 persons. During the last two and a-quarter years 2316 rural freeholds privately owned have been subdivided into 6196 subdivisions, totalling 1,125,678 acres. In addition, 710,633 acres of ordinary Crown lands "have been opened for selection during the same period. No less than 83,800 acres of Native land vested in the Maori Land Boards have been disposed of for closer settlement purposes. , ' Income Tax receipts increased from £462,994' -in 1912-13 to £554,271 in 1913-14. '.. ' '

The eurrenjfc year's programme for workers' dwellings comprises no fewer than 205 residences at a cost of about £IOO,OOO. Last year's expenditure amounted to £42,347. An Amending Bill is to be introduced this . session to enable local bodies to join the National Provident Fund, and to allow,of, trade and industrial unions, by resolution, to enter. Pensions to the amount of £473,298 were paid' during the year. Additional expenditure consequent on amendments made last session are expected to increase that amount by £IOO,OOO in the future. Sympathetic and ameliatory amendments to the Pensions Act are promised this session.

It is hoped to introduce a Bill giving pecuniary relief to sufferers from miners' phthisis. The value of the exports of 1913 was the highest recorded, being £22,810,363, excluding specie. The previous year's figures were £21,510,132. Customs revenue for the year ended March 31 was £3,426,744—£19,206 over 1912. Owing chiefly to labour troubles, the output: of; coal showed a decrease of 289,610 tons. The total value of all mineral production was £3,178,798—an increase of £136,574. The State coal mines show a deficiency 'of £4,223. It is proposed to submit proposals for the establishment of the iron industry in the Dominion.

The State' Fire Office has had a record year for business. The net profits amount 'to £15,444, as compared with £14,024 for 3912. The gross land revenue for the year amounted to £1,066,496. During I ''the year it is estimated that 79,000 acres of Crown lands will be opened for selection. At the 1 close of the year there, were 29,790 Crown tenants occupying 19,601,151 acres, and paying an annual rent of £741,404. During the past year 549 persons purchased 99,127 acres'under the Land Acts of .1912-I.'s, paying therefor the sum of £108,205. In the same time 221 tenants converted.

The area within the National Endowment amounted at the close of the year to 8,607,000 acres, of which 6,525,034 acres are occupied at an annual rental of £99,600. An area of 71,000 acres out of 228,000 covered by kauri gum reservations is shortly to be made available for settlement.

During the year 141,327 acres, valued at £560,497, were purchased and offered for settlement.

A total of £1,104,896 was spent on railway construction during the last 12 months. A vigorous policy is to be maintained during the current year. Last year's expenditure on roads and bridges amounted to £496,291. Irrigation enterprise cost £33,602. The expenditure out of revenue for defence amounted to £488,570, or £25,177 less than estimated requirements.

When the powers of the Education Act of 1908 regarding regulations for increases of teaching staffs are fully availed of, and this and last year's proposals are in operation, the concessions will mean an added expenditure of £150,000. Arrangements are in train for the accommodation of girls at the special school at Otekaike.

Some 12,307 school children were examined by medical inspectors last year.

The system of physical training is how in operation amongst- 80,000 children. Up to July, 1914, 2200 teachers had received training. Tours to the value of £44,251 were booked at the Tourist Department bureaux, as against £37,622 for 1912-13.

The Government has decided to ask Parliament for authority to raise £.1,000,000 for the roading of districts, the expenditure to be spread' over three years. Authority will also be sought to raise a public works loan of £2,000,000. The Government intended to have undertaken a partial revision of the, tariff this session, but the European crisis will prevent anything being done until next year. i It is proposed to set up a non-political and impartial board to allocate the annual grants from the Public Works Fund to local bodies. Arterial roads, ■ii is intended shall in future be one of the burdens on the Dominion finances. The board will ascertain what are and what are not main arterial roads, and to Vliat extent the Government funds. phouM be applied to the construction and' maintenance of such roads "in rewholly or in part, of the funds of the local authorities." District roads are to be provided and maintained fey, the local body. It is hoped that by this reform the local authorities will have more money to provide for local neecjls. j POSTSCRIPT TO STATEMENT; ; : The Statement I have just read was .in print before the Empire became involved in war with all its terrible consequences, and honourable members will know that under the circumstances the Estimates of revenue and expenditure may require to be amended. The people of this Dominion may and, no doubt will, have to make sacrifices, but these, I feel sure, will be willingly accepted in ' the grave crisis which means so much to the Mother Country and the .Dominions. ■;;■. ' •, jj Eyery New Zealander looks forward; to the future, with anxiety it may vfae; buti with the calm assurance that everything which it is possible to do is being A.db»e, and with the hope that whenvthe warieomes to an end, lasting peaeewill bb .secured. ■. y '< ; Our banks are in an exceptionally gpdd position, but to make them still more.-secure and to allay any possible feeling of unrest bank notes were yeisby proclamation made legal fen-, djefi • " .'...... • -..-- -vii.i ■ iThe Government desires most 'e'ai - -' njsstly to impress upon our merchants and traders, both wholesale and : retail ahd; distributors, how cruel it will be to attempt by any rise in prices of Stuffs to reap advantage out of the ;r>'re;s£ht/trouble, and how patriotic tlfose •p'feopife.-will be considered who, evenf.at' some sacrifice, retain the level of prices ok- foodstuffs in existence before crisis eventuated. I have every.'ebjtififlence that this warning is unne%e&siry; :i but 'the public may rest assumed of : this, that, the Government s<>me' days past had under consideration the 'necessity for active steps to; pjrerise in the price of foodstuffs, and if it is found that legislation is necessary Parliament will be asked, to pass tHis legislation and to make it retrospective, if need be. In conclusion, may I express the earnest hope that the next Financial Statement may record once again a prosperous year with the balance oivthe right side. o-.* Finally, may the Almighty all that is good protect our King, his: representatives, and councilors, Wherever they may be. May he guide them in their deliberations. May; His protecting arm be over all our people, and over the soldiers and sailors who are called upon at this •time to make, it may be, the supreme sacrifice for King and Empire. -;b ■?•'"■; .. ff" . . -Sg. ■ '<) '.mm: