THE ESTIMATES.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20381, 30 October 1931, Page 16

THE ESTIMATES.

PASSAGE THROUGH HOUSB. PROTEST AGAINST A GRANT. (PRESS ASSOCIATION TILZOBAV.) • WELLINGTON, October 29. In the House of Representatives today consideration of the Estimates was resumed in Committee.. Discussing the vote of £186,320 for the Department of Lands and Survey, Mr C. A. Wilkinson (Ind., Egmont) drew attention to the grant of £625 to Mr J. B. Thompson, late Under-Secre-tary, for special services rendered, and said he thought the item required some explanation. The Hon. E. A. Ransom said the amount represented six months' pay granted to senior officers retiring from the service. This had been the practice for some time, but at present the amount was limited to three months' salary. Mr Wilkinson said the Minister's answer was not satisfactory. The House was not justified in passing such a vote. At a time when salaries were being reduced all round, it was being asked to grant £625 to a man who had drawn a salary of £I2OO, and would now be drawing two-thirds of that amount in superannuation. He proposed, in view of the country's financial difficulties and the fact that thousands of people were without a shilling to their names, to move that the item be reduced by £IOO. Labour members supported the amendment. Mr Ransom said a number of senior officers had been asked this year to retire earlier than they had reason to cxpext. In view of that fact the Government did not think they should lose in comparison with what had been granted officers in previous years. He understood that the amount of Mr Thompson's superannuation was £B3O. Mr Thompson had rendered very valuable service, and was responsible for saving substantial amounts as a result of the part he had played in the protracted negotiations for the purchase of estates. Members supporting the amendment pointed out that it was not directed against Mr Thompson, but against the principle of making such a grant at a time when public servants were being paid a wage on which they could hardly subsist. c The amendment was defeated by do votes to 24.

A Further Protest. As a further protest against the grant to Mr Thompson, Mr H. G. B. Mason (Lab., Auckland Central) moved to reduce this sum by £SO. Labour members supported Mr Mason's motion, and the debate on the subject was continued for some time, the chairman eventually ruling a number of aspects out of order on the ground of "tedious repetition." Mr A. M. Samuel (R., Thames) asked whether the debate was a manifestation of the Labour Party's promise that the business of the House would be expedited. He suggested that the motion should be put to the vote without further delay. A division was taken on the motion and resulted in its rejection by 41 votes to 23, and the vote was then passed. The following estimates were then adopted in rapid succession:—Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Account) £37,000; Land For Settlement Account, £9720; State Forests Account £252,766; Valuation Department, £46,979. Votes of £444,045 for Naval Defence, and £240,000 for the Defence Department were passed.

Justice3)®partmjmt. The estimate of £140,591 for the Justice Department was then considered. Mr G. C. Black (Ind., Motueka) moved to reduce the sum by £lO, contending that it was not according to the principle of equality of sacrifice that the services were retained of the administrative head of the Department, who had 45 years 10 months' service, while other officers with thirty years' service were being superannuated. The Hon. J. G. Cobbe explained that the officer to whom Mr Black had referred knew his Department from -top to bottom, and it would be difficult to replace him. . Mr Black did not press for a division. The motion was lost on the voices, and the vote passed. Progress was reported after the vote of £424,188 for the Police Department had been passed, and the House rose at midnight till 2.30 p.m. to-morrow.