YEAR'S ESTIMATES

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 167, 17 July 1941, Page 10

YEAR'S ESTIMATES

VOTE FOR ELECTION

GRANTS FOR HOME DEFENCE «,By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON*, this day. Main items of the Estimates for the year presented in the House of Representatives last evening are:— Interest on public debt will involve a total of £8,5-10.615, and repayment of public debt will require t'2,260,020. The Highways estimate is £2.172,000, a reduction of £228,587.

In the Internal Affairs Department vote is a sum of £5000 for area instructors under the physical welfare and recreation scheme. This includes travelling expenses, rental and other charges of additional officers appointed for the training of the Home Guard physical instruction leaders.

A sum of £12,000 is provided for the Savage Memorial at Bastion Point, Auckland.

Under the vote for the Department of Agriculture the sum of £2500 is to be made available for compensation under the citrus canker regulations.

The sum of £2250 is provided under the Industries and Commerce vote for the development of the applejuice industry, while in the same Department's vote is another item of £10,000 for expenses in connection with the Price Investigation Tribunal. Last year £5400 was voted, and £8481 expended.

The Mines Department vote makes provision for the erection of rescuestation buildings at Ohai and Rotowaro.

Under the Health Department vote £2000 is provided as a contribution towards the cost of erecting and equipping a community welfare centre at Freeman's Bay, Auckland, at which adequate shower and clinical facilities arc to he provided. A sum of £8000, which is recoverable, is provided for an emergency soldiers' convalescent hospital at Rotorua.

The effect of German air raids on London is shown in the Internal Affairs Department vote of £1000 for air raid precautions, and war damage for the High Commissioner's Office.

An interesting item in the Social Security Department vote is an amount of £5000 for pensions for members of the Emergency Reserve Corps. Iron and Steel Works In the iron and steel industry account there is a sum of £350,00*0 for the purchase of plant, consisting of the cost of the erection of furnaces and rolling mills. The purchase is a war emergency measure. This amount is recoverable from the War Expenses Account. For reconditioning the works at Onekaka there is an allocation of £20,000, also recoverable from the War Expenses Account.

One of the most marked reductions affects the Labour Department, which has a vote of £1,603,000 against £2,517,326. This drop is due chiefly to a reduction in cost of employment promotion, at £1,500,000, which is nearly £1.000,000 lower than last year. A most significant vote is £112.500 for the Electoral Department again £8113. Provision is made for a general election and licensing poll.

In the Police Department vote, £2400 is provided for ten women police, and other amounts to bring the force up to full strength.

In the Mines Department vote the main change is an increased subsidy on coal production of £50,000.

The Social Seev.r'.ty Funct is to be assisted by a vote of £3.600,000, an increase of £ 100,000

Medical and hospital benefits arc estimated to cost £3.000.000. against £1,776,685. A new item under this heading is £600,000 for medical benefits. '

There is also an increase in the provision for maternity benefits of £32.000. while hospital benefits increase from I'l .255.f>3."> to £1.437.000. Provision is also made this year for pharmaceutical benefits at a cost of £350.000. and supplementary benefits of £65,000.

Public Works General Purposes Account estimate is £5.012,300 against nearly £(>.000.000 last year. Railway construction requires a vote of £607.100 against £857.032. Railway improvements and additions to open lines require £150,000. against £1,072 160, but the working railways depreciation account is to provide £1.625,000 for these purposes.

The public buildings estimate Li £900,000. against £001,000; education buildings. £500,000. against. £541,000; reads, etc. £350,000, against £599.000. The irrigation and water supply vote this year is £552.000, against £611,038; small farms development, £388,200, against £315,419; native land settlement, £250,000, against £235,-144; and linen flax development, £600,000, against £245,977.

The Electricity Supply Account this year is £2.957.375. compared with £2,301,331 last year.

The cost of the present visit overseas of the Prime Minister, the Itt. Hon. P. Fraser. and his party, is shown as £3000, 11000 being for general expenses.

Home Guard and Appeal Boards

A sum of .CfiSOO in the National Service Department estimates includes provision of office equipment for Home Guard district and area offices.

Overtime to deal with the urgent work of enrolment of the second division of the general reserve is estimated to cost £5000. while postages are likely to cost £16,000.

Costa of appeal boards are set down at £95/5, and those of manpower committees are shown at £15,675. National service organisations are estimated to cost £25,125. exclusive of items charged direct to the War Expenses Account. The cost of the Women's War Auxiliary is estimated to be £1020.

The cost of the supply of free apples to school children by the Health Department is estimated at £36,750, while the free milk supply will cost £17 1,000.

Payments for the carriage of mails by the Pacific air service is shown as £60,000, with an explanation that the increase from last year's vote of £5000 is due to the service having formerly operated for part, of a year and to the anticipated large increase in business.