THE ESTIMATES

Evening Star, Issue 19044, 12 September 1925, Page 4

THE ESTIMATES

All VOTES PASSED A GOOD DAY’S WORK [Pur United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, September 11. The House of Representatives went into Committee of Supply further to consider the general Estimates. The first department taken was Mental Hospitals—£2Bo,Bsl.—This was passed. The committee then proceeded to consider the vote of £127,948 for the Department of Public Health. Mr Sidey commented on the lack of accommodation at Otaki Sanatorium. —The Minister admitted this shortage, but said provision was being made lor twenty, additional beds. Generally speaking, the death rate from tuberculosis in New Zealand was the lowest in the world, so that the. department was doing good work along those lines. —Members generally commended the system of dental treatment of school children carried on by the department, the only complaint made being that it did not go 'far enough.—Mr Holland urged that greater support should bo given to the work of the Plunket Society.—The Minister agreed that the Plunket nurses were doing excellent work. In addition to tiio £20,000 on the present Estimates another £IO,OOO would appear on the Supplementary Estimates, so that the total would bo £9,000 more than last year. Touching on the dental inspection of school children, the Minister said he would like to be able to send nurses to every part of the dominion, but they could only do this for the larger centres at the present time. It was necessary to train the nurses.—Mr W. E. Parry said he hoped the King George Hospital at Rpborua would he maintained for the treatment of children, in which branch of medical work great good was already being done.—Replying to other question, Sir Maui Pomaro said that the department was co-operating with other countries in getting every possible information regarding cancer and other diseases. It had been found that insulin was not a specific for diabetes, but it was useful as an agent of relief, The real treatment of this disease was still along dietetic lines.—The vote was passed unaltered. The Public Trustee’s Account vote — £317,931 —was passed without comment.

The Police Department vote—£4ls,939—was put through unaltered. On the vote for the State Forests Account—£2l2,B37— Mr G. W. Forbes asked how tho increase in the last year’s ' expenditure (£114.298)' was made up.—Tho Minister replied that tho extension of tree-planting involving an expenditure of about £25,000 for the purchase of land was largely responsible for tho increase,-—The vote was passed unaltered. The vote for State Advances (£60,042) was passed. The Mines Department vole—£4s.s62—was also passed. Replying to Mr Holland, tho Hon. J. G. Coates said the report on tho use of Now Zealand coal on tho railways was nearly complete, and would be presented to tho House this session.

Discussing tho vote of £97,119 for the Electoral Department, Mr M'Gombs said, ho considered the present main roll the best vet prepared in New Zealand, but he thought there should bo another canvass by postal officials before the roll was closed, lie also ashed that a polling booth be established on Pitt Island, where there were some ten doctors.—Mr _ Coates promised to look into the position of the Pitt Islanders.—The vote was passed. Tho Audit Department vote — £27,987 —was passpd without comment. The vote for the Public Service Commissioner’s Office—£7,oßl —was also passed without discussion. On the Department of External Affairs vote—£24,Bo5 —Mr Jordan asked if the Prime Minister was in a. position to say what was the position of the New Hebrides Islands.—Mr Coates said be would give tho information as soon as ho was" able to say what tho position was as revealed by the correspondence. —hi reply to Mr Eraser, ho said he would lay on tho table the correspondence on the subject of the _ Protocol and the Peace Pact this session.—Replying to Mr M'Conihs, Mr Coates said the mandated property in Samoa showed a prolit of £22,000 last year, and it was expected this year would also show a substantial profit. This completed the Estimates, obviating the necessity for a Monday sitting, and tho Prime Minister moved that tho House riso till 2.80 p.m. on Tuesday. Tin’s was agreed to, and the House rose at 10.55 p.m.