THE ESTIMATES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 693, 18 December 1909, Page 7

THE ESTIMATES.

- post :ANd; : telegraph-department; ■ Consideration of the Estimateswas resumed. The i votes for tho Post' and; Telegraph Depart-ment-were 'first taken, and an' important statement -was',made.by the Prime Minister with regard to ocdall mail services, which,:.with' the ensuing; discussion,is given inaiiothor column. • An amendment by ; Mr. Glover (Auckland Central):to reduce by £1 the vote of .£67,700 for conveyance of mails by sea as an indication that tho first port of cull and last port of departure for tho Islands service should bo Auckland was rejected by 48 votes to 13. ■ \ '.ViM votojor the Department/ \£B7S,DS7, was agreodto at 3 p.m. " :. . .■'" ■ ■ :■■■-■■ -.'

/,-.;;,,;;"; : , '■ : ; - L; -»? 1 - e '-'iwl? < ' s ,^P"^ ,ilont - wns next considered. -.-,. Mr: POLAND (Ohinemuri).; took -exception , to tho suggestion that Dr. 8011, Director of the Geological Survey, who, ho said, had previously nail ft trip: to Canada, should accompany an' expedition.to the Antarctic ' ■ ■■ ■' ,:.Mr...;ALLEN (Bruce): said that : if Dr. 801 l wont, ami-did work like that of '■■Professor ■Uavid; it would.reflect honour on New Zealand. Ihe Hon... R. MTiENZIE . stated,, in rep^y,;, to. -questions, that no - prospecting parties, had yet gone out- this year, but they-, would go out early in .the summer; -Ho had heard nothing about the proposal that Dr ■BeU.-.shonld go to the Antarctic. The "Minini' Kocordv. had: been discontinued because it-cost about; i£looo ;a year, while the return'.was only -The total -vote/of ■£2i,sffl was agreed; to;••:-'. • ;: i:h ■ -JNTERNAL AFFAIRS; ;vi ■ ';." .. '■'. The Interndl- Affairs Department was next dealt. ivithM- ' .-■'. ; '.: ■'•■/•'.,'" ■: ;: ": ■'~■ ":' :■ ..Mr. BtJCHANAN (Wtiirarapa) asked'why the vote for extra, assistance; for inspection aijd exaininatioh; had* been reduced from .£760 to v 1£200.. The 'trouble in his- district was that local bodies/could not get their accounts agreed ■ to v iji time. ■' . ■■•: -' r ' : '■:'',■'■■ ■\- :■■■':■ -.-...■ ■ ; The Hon.' D. BTJDDQ said that last year .-there had. been no longer delay than a month. V-In ireply to Mr.: Hanan. (lnvercargill), the Minister said that the Auditor-General s "tags" .were; ; ' observed by lo'car , bodies.' ,' ■ (Members: They; take'no' notice of them.' "They laugh, at themO' In, \ few cases, after discussion, the .Audit Office had not'enforced the. "tag," but •generally attention , had been paid to them.: :.';.Mr. "ALLEN. (Btucd).believed that the Go-: , vernment; had ,iio power to enforce "tags." LegislationVahould be submitted to deal with this matter. .''■'■ '•■"■ ..;',.;:::' ■■• './'. ' -::■ Sir WILLUM STEWARD (Waitaki) said there wore legitimate items of expenditure not provided foi by Acts, and it would be most unfair to take extreme measures against local bodies in regard to them. .- Mr. HOGG (Masterton) said that since retrenchment began, tho "tags" had become as thick as blackberries, for reasons never con•sidored before. •■ , , Mr., MASSEY stated .that the. Auditor-General-only did his duty in tailing the attention of the ratepayers to illegal expenditure, and legislation tvas needed to enable the Government to take action when wrong exponditiire was proved.' 1 The MINISTER, leplying on the - point raised >by, Mr. BuchanSw, eaid that the. apparent decrease was only on paper, and was due'to certain'officers being raised from temporary''to permanent status. , The vote of JE52.292 for tho Audit Office was agreed to. ■ , i

EL : ECjoRAi:' : department; ; VMr^T; : Hi' r JDAVET" .'.(6hristchurch.; ; ;East) moved-to reduce/the first:item' l in.the vote 'of. i11,902:f0r the.'Electoral Department '/as an indication /that: the old system of. purging: the 'rolls.Bhould:fce"revertcdtc%';■:'.'■;:'•. v \ .:. •;,- :■■ Mr.■ EUSSELL.; (Avon) ■ cpndemned\the' absurd extravagance iof.the Department, in which for :;saldries -alone dEHOO more' was required than last year, , when there was a , general election; : The old system of printing the rolls'in the. olectcrates-was -preferable. .■■.:::■',. 'The PRIME: MINISTEE' said : he': was '~prepared to bring .down legislation next ■ session to .revert ■■ to,- the '■ old 'system "of. pursing] the rQlls>--y^hen;'itV--fpUs : /i>\er.q-.; : 'jirintea , '. ,: loia , ,lly. there was a epiabination ,fhrpuglioiit".'thp"|. ; i'uu;, try to' keep -vs. the price.V:'''i;.v v ' ■:.'Mri'MASSEY.-. said names-wrongly .appeari)!g:'orii the' rolls,' and as. many .more wrongly'; ausenfe'^That' : ; .-: .y- r --A '■-. ' J 'if:•:':'. -'..■"Mγ;'. ! ■DAyEy i '.withdrow.: his amendment jn' view , .' of ■'•the -, Prime ■ llinister!s z prd mho,, pi ■lation."'-'"■■.-• l .'- : .■'■"■■■ -'■. J The-Second ißallptiAct; & : ii=v.->'''rw!p-'iiiv- '■-,■ ■-■:Mr.:MASSE^moy.ed4p.:rqquc9,4he l^ptaL.y.ot.rfi for ■ tho -pepartment J by,- JBI .* as: aii that itlve" Electoral. Bill to' .be' brought , : down idext session .should include' a provision for" .the repeal-. of the Second; Ballot Act,'.which iii:time aiid money had -cost the country, at , least jeiOO.OOO": , ■ '■ V- '•'■':■■ ■■■'■, ■::■'■. : '^'r^S ! :> :(:.:■' ■•; The S.PEIME: MINISTER: protested .against moving a '•; policy '.motion un connection with the., Estimatesl:- ••:;,-:- : -: ! -r' : :^-. : '■■■:"/■'-■ ■' , : -;.■'■■'v:.-■ .'";■;'. ': ■;■ The CHAIRMAN put .the motion irt the proscribb'd■ form': .''That-this. iteni-,be,:reduced;:by "£\."'-: ■:'■ :-"- ;^; • { ''- ; -": ; . ; ' v' i.'-.'■•■•'. "'■■'■::■:- ! ' ■: '■'. Tlic motion was,'■ negatived '■■ by 43 ■> votes to 23. i ; : Ther vote; of : ,£11,902 'was agreed to..- ■ ■■;.;.:. y :> : .

;HJGH l COMMISSIONER'S? DEPARTMENT./ r Mr';HOGt(J!(Masfertou) moved tliat. tho jtem-trade.-"and';v;imnii|;ration■,.-,: r'epteseiitative ;'(10 month? at• J2700) reduced, byirifilVaa; an indication'.- that ;the ; House disagreed with. : .the . incieasiiig . oxpehditure iu corihcction .'with-. the : 'RM-Comuiissioner's Oittcei'v;- , !'.; , .v , ;.: ■:. -V ■'>.'.[:, ■ Mr;.WlUGH'i'(\Vellington,South)Ulso con-.domied-'the'.'.expenditur'ejJand condeinned :the appoiiitment of, otfcers'vwho, He' said,'.had;been sunt'. to Xondon : after being ictronchod hore.'i; ■ '•■The PHIME .AIINISTEiI ;said the -High ,Com-; missioner'S: salary (i£2000: a year) was iixedi.by, statute/.'and'xould.npt :be. touched qn vth(i.Estimates. -"Mr. JCtonaway..had;,bebn 'pwi^ff : i'te'; : ;oM: ; . i^pi-^.aiidVpther,, Osavidgisvwdrd: being -eilected. which-would be: shown' '.on next ypar'^fistiuiates, r AVork! thai was■ ptiid/for.iout; side* would- now'bft,done/inside'the; office. 1 In addition, to ''Kenn&wayV retirement,■'. another .officer" ,was,:bmng to: ; New .Zealand. ,Dr. Masbn's.appointment in London!was : not, a .■permanent; pis.' : !'- :, .Mγ. , . HaU-Jdnes : was "looking. for tin' , office", in a tetter' situation".-...'. i .:: .-; BUCHANAN: asked'who was responsible! for , , the -selection of the. immigrants whoi": were] isient' out/from .England. >■:■'. •■■;';;.-■ ■.";.; : ''.":>,,\) :;-■ Sir: Joseph Ward: said.'that'..Mr..'Donne/was nowVdoing this iWork..; ; ;• ■;:',: ,/.'■..,■ •:'::'■ ■"■Mr.- liiichahau ■: said ■ that .Mr. -Donne was- a vory good , officer, for.certain work,- but',ho :was not , for;'the' work in ': conncotipii' with the immigration office.'' .:-:.■:■: ;:; •-.. ; ' ; . ■ ■."; Six JOaIIPH WARD replied that Mr; Donne had beea. 38 years'in the service, and-!if. he. 'had -not:: been'■'.• transferred,' to create '"■ a-- very diUlcult "Department, !he would -have'.been;'entitled to the position of 'Chief: Traffic Supdrintendent:in the'Kailwoy' Department at-.a higher': salary'.thari the "had ! yet •received... "He had both ■' kuqwledge.-; of ■ .immigranb : and general knowledge-to'?nt:.him for his'present.poeitibnV the immigration, policy •'•■■■ -.- ;' ' ■ Mr.::T;' B: : TAYLOE- said: that ;the' increased cspendituro oh the' High:Commissi&ner's■■ Office Was: shamefu!;;:in view of the: recent retrenchment. ■';, There. was': ho t a tittle ~ot evidence ■■ that Mr..'Donne : \v;as: doing \.anything tangible 'to earn--his - salary. •: Presumably he was: understudy to the High .Commissioner.-and-'he .would make a.-very'good.'High .Commissioner. .They were told in the same breath that Mr; Sonne was the Immigration Commissioner, , and that •immigration".had -been. stopped."- The fact was that:,the-Toiifist .Office;had;h>'"be"retrenched, wore■ told.in:the'^ame;breath that Mr/Donne The - PRIME MINISTEK denied '•: that. the office-was: a Sinecure;- i'i'ho, whole of ■ the shippin"; work, and work in connection with the' .sending, .put .of. goods,,to:..New Zealand, for which shipping iirlna were formerlyjaid,- wai now being aona.by a'branch of the High Comuiissioiier's Office, ■ under - Mr. Donne. .:':."■ -. ..Theiariiehdment was negatived by 39 rotes to :

The ioto for tho Department of X 7904 iias then agreed to. . Tho voto of JE2206 for the Museum Departmont wns passed without discussion. Tho votes for tho Dominion Laboratory (iCM4S) and Baoteriological Laboratory (.61420) Were agreed to, after short discussiorin.

'■:. 4y PRINTING DEPARTMENT. ■ : :•',;: -In reply to <iucsti6ns bearing on thei Printing Department,- '7 ■•■■' ■• "■• :-: ". ■;■Thb*Hon.- J. :A.: MILL!K said M 'only private : work done -by/the- Depaf tment' , ■ was .to print tho proceedings of the New Zealand InBtitUte nnu the ■ law: reports. . ' Seventy men had been retrenched from the Department, and none bnt casual employees'had been taken on since the retrenchment. Tlie index to tho Consolidated statutes, "a: ye , ry. fine, piece '6f- work, nnd of immense value7-(hear,' hears)—had been prepared by Mr. 'Joliffe, who had not been paid specially for;it. Mr.-Joliffe was paid for Ms other work in oonneotion with : the Statuteei Tho vote for' this Department (.£30,023) was agreed to : at- 11.30 I-■-..'.. -■ -.. . ■■■■ ■".:'. : :■

HOSPITALS AND MENTAL HOSPITALS. Speaking on the Mental'Hospitals'vote, '■..:■■ The Hon. G. FOWLDS stated, in respect of the ; ! proposed' men'tul hospital Up the Main Trunk lino, that some time would be occupied! in loading, before ii'start could :be made i with' the'permanent ibuilding. ' ■ ~.'■ " ■:-. '. . : ' The'.vote.of .£48,443 was'endorsed.:;;; •■•■.:'■•■:'. •■/,. '■ Speaking oh'.the vote foi.:hospitals,' V-.' ,\ir, FIELD (Otaki) drew attention to the email - proportion 'of- fees-paid by .'\ hospital. patients. /. A: very large^number , of patfoiits vho' were -well able, to pay - cwne. ofi SCOWrce,

which was. not fair: to. tho ratepayers or to the Government, which paid subsidies'. •The; MINISTER replied ;that , ho hoped .the board'would in future be more careful in con- ' neptibn with the .collection, of fees than they had been in tho past. .- .■:•. .•'..■ .vWhon tho Health : Department Estimates wero under discussion ■■''"• . I Mr. HERRIES (Tuuranga) asked the Minlstor' to ■ tell the Houso the policy itVwiis intended to adopt with reference to sanitary ~..". . . . ~Tho'\Hon. D. BTOBO said that under the new. schoinb the local authorities would take over, the inspecting work. Already' 10 inspectora had been .taken over; and tho Department ..would', require, to rotaiu at; least five for the principal centres in order to assist in connection- with sanitation work. ■ .. ■: Mr. ALIEN (Bruce) suggested that the MinI istcr make 'n-statement on tho .reorganisation of the Department. .'.'■ The Hon. D. BUDDO said that the new scheme : provided for a health officer and a* .port officer at the chief-centres.* : 'in addition 'a '.Bacteriologist.-would be appointed, at Auckland at the expense of the Department, whilst 'at Dunedin there-would also be a- bacteriologist, part of whose salary would bo provided by the University. It was fully expected that the. present staff would..be able to : deal . thoroughly with the work. ; . v.; ■ v!Mr.: HOGG asked for some information in regard , to what appeared;to be a case, of transmigration, of souls. It Beemcd that an officer receiving'a salary -of i9oo;a year .had been retired' or- dispensed with, but that he had reappeared in London at the same salary.. What was'he. doing in London? .;. ; . ■. . ■ ' Mr.'MALCOLM moved to.reduco the vote for Dr. Mason's salary by J6l as an indication.that the Houso was dissatisfied, with the appoint..me'nt.''-.',, ■■'•-.■ •■■■"., ■.<•-■-.■;'.'. .-. );■■■'" ■■ : '.-.■.;.. ■ .'■ Mr. BTJDDO, in reply ;; to. a question, said that the officer in question had been appointed to his present position for only twelve months. ■', He was attending to immigration antl other ■;' ; '■'■•'•■■■'. '.■■■'■' ■'.''.."■. ; -- >.:. Miv LAURENSON said that Dr. Mason had been'.really, given a year's notice of the termination of his engagement in. New Zealand, but the Government decided to utilise his services in London during that time: -He eulogised the work done by Dγ: Mason in New, Zealand. .' Dr. TE EANGIHIEOA said that Dr. Mason had done a valuable work in building-up the. Health Department, and be ought still-'to lie at the head of .0..- .•: ~ . ; . "•' ■ ; Mr. HOGG'suggested that the amount should appea^as , a.gratuity; and not as a.salary. Inir migration'.had entirely stopped. ■ . : "-.. . r ihe amendment was,lost by -29 votes to 17. .- J- V ' -v' (Left Sittingj :.'7 - - ■'• " ;