OTHER VOTES

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 252, 21 July 1938, Page 13

OTHER VOTES

Big Increase For Working Railways One of the largest increases shown in the Estimates is that of £1,095.000 for railways. Of this amount £lOO,OOO is provided for the maintenance of ways and works £140.000 for maintenance of rolling stock. £144,000 for motive transportation, £122,000 for traffic transportation expenses, £lBO,OOO for road services and goods, and £270,700 lor the stores branch. The Poet Office account increase pt £318.000 provides for £92,000 increase m salaries, £26,000 for conveyance of ocean and airmails, and £99.000 for the maintenance of telegraph and telephone lines. Land for Settlement. The land for settlement vote is. £345,000. an increase of £78,000. which includes £38.000 for the development of unoccupied lands and £96.000 for the acquisition of lands, but a decrease ot £70.000 for transfer from llutt Valley settlement receipts is also included in this account. The State coal mines vote totals £387,-

797, an increase of £70,000, which is chiefly accounted for by the provision of £49,000 for the development of new mines. The State forest account of lolO.ooa show# an increase of £229,700, which provides for increased activities of the department.

Social Security Scheme.

Preliminary expenses in connection with national' health and superannuation are expected to absorb £B5O, as against £1569 expended last year. In connection with the centennial celebrations £3350 is provided for biographi* cal, historical, pictorial and architectural surveys. , f The Industries and Commerce vote ot £448,948 shows an increase of £63,400 due to grants to exhibitions totalling £27.500 (Glasgow £lO,OOO, New Zealand centennial on account £5OOO, New York £lO.OOO, and San Francisco £2500). Publicity overseas is estimated to account for an increase of £14,000. Physical Welfare Council. A sum of £4OOO is provided in the Department of Internal Abairs, for the expenses of a National Council of Physical Welfare and Recreation, as against £57 expended last year. The Police Department total in this year's estimates is £621,000. an increase of £20,000 over last year, due to extra staff taken on and provided for for portion of the year only last year. The External Affairs vote of-£206,000 shows a decrease of some £40,000, due to the fact that the Department of Internal Marketing is purchasing fruit f.o.b. Apia and therefore pays freight charges on transit of such commodities. The Marine Department vote of £178.587 shows an increase of £19,600, which is mainly accounted for by harbour works at Westport which cost £PpJ)OQ, and other amounts scattered over a number of smaller items. The Native Department vote shows a decrease of £46,500 on last year’s expenditure, due to the fact that this year’s total

does not include some £50,000 for housiirj of indigent Natives included in last year's vote. Expenses of General Election. Another vote which is particularly interesting this year is that of the -Electoral Department, which totals £105,769, an increase of £99,256 over last yearj because provision is made in this year’s vote for the coming general election and licensing polls. The vote for the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research totals £149,900, an increase of £19,800. Plant research increase totals £B4OO, and the remainder of the increase is distributed

among a large number of small items. The Health Department total amounts to £1,327,398, an increase of £117,600. Of the increase, the supply of milk to school children accounts for £66,800, and dental services for £16,000, the remainder being distributed among various miscellaneous items. The mental hospitals vote is £416,800, an increase of £22,300, which is chiefly accounted for by a reduction of credits in aid totalling £6300, and an increase of supplies, rations, fuel and lighting. Broadcasting Cost. An increased vote of £BB,OOO for the National Broadcasting Service includes £12,000 for salaries, £BOOO for repairs and maintenance, and £24,000 for capital expenditure for land and buildings; also £20,000 for transfer to Public Works

Fund. The commercial broadcasting stations increase of £22,700 is chiefly made up it salaries. Agricultural Votes. In the estimates of the Department ol Agriculture there is a vote of £10,290 tc cover expenses incurred as a result of th< recent outbreak of facial eczema. Subsidies to rabbit boards tota. £30,000. The amount voted last year was £28,300. r A new item provides for subsidiet totalling £4OOO to owners of stallions. Salaries, travelling and other expenses of the Executive Commission of Agricul ture are expected to absorb £6500. amount expended last year was £621 8. A sum of £30,000 is set aside for fruitexport guarantee, as against £27,000 las! There is a vote of £120,000 for the carriage of lime for bona fide farmers. Last year £lll,OOO wa© voted and £113,606 expended. A sum of £5OOO is voted for expenses in connection with research and development of the flax industry. The amount voted last year was £lO,OOO, of which £790 was expended. The grant for the development of the wheat industry remains at £lBO,OOO.

Pharmacy Licensing. An item of £4OOO is provided to cover expenditure on licensing under the pharmacy industrial plan. The visit of an officer to the United Kingdom in connection with the establishment of the iron and steel industry is estimated to cost £BOO. A vote of £l5O is again made to the Women’s Division of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union.

A sum of £4OOO is provided to meet the transport expenses in New Zealand of the contingent which took part in the Anzac Day parade in Sydney.

There is a contribution of £2OOO toward the relief of Spanish refugee children. The money s to be paid to the International Commission for .Refugee Children in Spain on express condition that it is used exclusively for feeding Spanish children who are in need. A vote of £550 is provided to cover the cost of the visit to Australia of the Minister of Agriculture and his secretary. LAND FORCES A statement made by the Hon. F. Waite at the New Zealand Farmers’ Union Conference, “that the advice of the Home authorities about the land forces of New Zealand was not being carried out,” was described as incorrect by the Minister of Defence, Hon. F. Jones, when replying to a question on the subject in the House of Representatives yesterday.