THE ESTIMATES

Evening Star, Issue 22798, 5 November 1937, Page 6

THE ESTIMATES

PARLIAMENT'S DAY SESSION VOTES TO DEPARTMENTS PASSED (Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, November 5. The House met at 10.30 a.m. The Prime Minister gave notice to move that, on and after Wednesday, Government business should have precedence on Wednesdays during the remainder of. the session. On the motion of the Prime Minister, urgency was granted the passing of a number of items on the Estimates, and the House then proceeded with consideration of the Estimates. Discussing the Prime Minister’s department vote of £25,505, Mr Smith, complained of broadcasts from the Prime Minister’s department, and Mr Broadfoot asked that the Opposition, should be given an opportunity of adding its say to the broadcasts of the Prime Minister’s department. Mr Savage suggested that Mr Broadfoot should listen-in to the broadcast from the Prime Minister’s department. It would do him good. Replying to a question regarding .the increased cabled costs of the department, he said New Zealand was now: “on the map.” It was a member of the League Council, and extra business in that connection had been responsible for the increase in cable costs. -

Mr -Savage, replying to a further query, said the timber supplied for the League of Nations building, at Geneva was rimu.

Tho Leader of the Opposition, Mr Hamilton, asked • who was the officer responsible for the preparation of the news broadcasts from the Prime Minister's department. The Prime Minister: I am the officer responsible. I see everything before it is sent over for broadcasting. The Vote for the Prime Minister’s Department was passed. . " The Honso proceeded to consider the Treasury Department vote of £40,647, Mr Hamilton drawing attention to the fact that, although here had been ai decrease in the staff of the Treasury,, much larger sums had been handled by that department. The Treasury Department vote was also passed.

The next item to be considered was the Customs Department vote of £125,342. The Minister of Finance, in answer to a question by Mr Hamilton, said there was no provision for assisting migrants in the vote. Referring to an amount of £3,500, refund of duty on raspberry and black currant fruit pulp, the Minister of Finance explained that the refund had been made to jam factories on imported pulp because they had been unable to secure the necessary fruit in the Dominion.

Mr Holyoako expressed concern at such a precedent in view of the fact that the raspberry crops were being ploughed in in Nelson. Mr Kyle said the reason why tho raspberry croips were being ploughed in in Nelson was because the, irrigation scheme in Canterbury had been responsible for a tremendous increase in raspberry growing, ~ The Minister of. Finance stated fthat the reason for the refund of duty on. the black currants and raspberries .bad been largely to assist people in Mr Holyoake’s own electorate. He assured the House that steps were being taken to assist the small fruit grower and enable him to secure a reasonable living.. The Minister of Customs, asked to explain the extent of the censorship ou imported literature, said the Customs stopped delivery of printed matter which was obscene, and the censorship was practically confined to that aspect. When literature incited a reader to violence or crime that was a matter for the police, but when schools of political thought were discussed tho Government felt that nobody in Parliament could be the judge of tho economics and politics the people should be permitted to read. Mr Forbes expressed concern. at the unrestricted entry of literature which aimed at undermining the authority of constitutional government. I , was letting the enemy in, and no'.other country allowed it. The Minister should realise that this literature was not onlv read by university professors. Mr Nash said that with regard to literature, they had to follow the British practice of allowing complete : freedom of thought and leave the public* itself to judge what was best. At 12.50 p.m. Mr Savage moved tho closure, and the Customs vote was passed. “The Land and Income tax vote of £161,870 was under discussion when th» House adjourned at 1 p.m.