BUDGET SUMMARY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 184, 5 August 1936, Page 11

BUDGET SUMMARY.

SURPLUS OF £13,000.

large revenue increase

COSTLY SOCIAL SERVICES.

By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.)

WELLINGTON, this day. Estimated revenue for the current year, as given in the Budget, is £31,067,000, which is £4,894,633 more than was received, during last year. Total estimated expenditure is £31,054 - 000. The Budget summary is as follows:—

_ ESTIMATED ItEVENUE. Taxation— £ _ T^'nl 0I "i S » • 9.100,000 Snloa t U y 770,000 wrimi,- * 2,900,000 lilm-hire tax 70,000 gold export duty . 110,000 Highways 2,512 000 Stamp and death T i'l'f 3,210,000 Land tax 1,300,000 Income tax 0,000,000 ■Miscellaneous .... 45,000 Total taxation .. 26 017 000 Interest receipts . 000 Other receipts ... 2MOZO 31,007,000 Estimated Expenditure. Debt services 0 250 000 Exchange i 4--mn Transfer of highways revenue 2.512 000 Ann e uaI P yotes- Ut appro P riations Social services lo.sooooo otber votes Total, main Estimates 30 SOI 000 Cost of reducing working hours ' ' various State services .... 150 000 j Other Supplementary Estimates loojooo Estimated Budget surplus 81 '°itj, WO The Minister of Finance (Mr. Nash) said in his Budget speech, that the cost to the Consolidated Fund of the -restoration of salaries and wages in the Public Service as from July 1 last was approximately £470,000, of which £197,000 was reflected in the lower estimate of the revenue item for railway interest, the balance. £273,000, being included in the Consolidated Fund votes.

The vote for maintenance of works and services was to be increased by £1,037,000. This large increase was mainly due to provision of £308,000 for aerodromes and £400,000 for other works that would be financed partly out of revenue and partly out of loan money. In addition, there was £97,000 for restoration of flood damage and £170,000 for plant, material, and services.

[ For land development purposes tin extra £204,000 was to be provided, mostly for the purpose of paying standard wages to the men engaged in work under the small farms scheme. Following this course, would obviate overloading the properties with capital charges. For similar reasons the wage cost of the native land development schemes was to be provided out of vote with the result that a comparative increase, of £233,000 was shown for this vote. Lighthouses and Fisheries. The installation of radio beacons and a resurvey of the coastline are important works proposed. In addition, a number of lighthouses where transport arrangements were now rather primitive would be fitted with oil-engined winches and rope haulage to lessen the present arduous labour of handling stores.

Another matter for which provision was made was a reorganisation of the fisheries branch of the Marine Department. Henceforth a continuous statistical record of the industry was to be kept, as it was not possible to regulate the industry intelligently without knowing the amount of fishing that was going 011 and the quantities and kinds of fish that were landed. Improved equipment for the control of fishing grounds was also contemplated. Furthermore, the Government proposed to take over fresh-water fish research work now

in the hands of a committee of the acclimatisation societies, and this research work would later be extended to salt-water fish.

More for Education. For education an extensive building programme, aimed at improving the standard of accommodation in the schools, had been arranged. Furthermore, provision was made in the estimates for an additional £055,000 to cover teachers' salaries and other expenses arising out of the admission of five-year-old children to • the schools, larger allowances for school committees, and transport and board of postprimary schoolchildren living at a distance from a school. Free conveyance of school children to technical and other secondary schools had in the past been confined to those who were able to take advantage of railway services, but it was now proposed that assistance should be given towards the cost of transport by road for those for whom rail facilities are lacking, a conveyance allowance being paid as in the case of primary school children.

The maintenance of school buildings had fallen into arrears, and provision was made for a considerable increase in most of the items. An amount was also included for the improvement of school grounds.

Full restoration of the capitation payments to free kindergarten schools was provided for, and the grant to the Worker's Educational Association was restored.