WEST COAST WORKS

Grey River Argus, 9 October 1941, Page 7

WEST COAST WORKS

ITEMS IN ESTIMATES WELLINGTON, October 7. The Supplementary Estimates, totalling £1,202,9590, in addition to the main estimates already passed by the House, were presented to-day. A vote of £523 is provided under the heading of internal affairs for camping equipment for the GovernorGeneral. A note explains that the equipment is required in connectionwith proposed annual visits by his Excellency and staff to a number of outlying districts. Also under the same department is a compassionate grant of £5OO to the widow of Captain W. J. Lyon, former Member of Parliament for Waitemata, who was killed at the war earlier this vear. A total of £35,725 is provided for the National Service Department, and salaries amounting to £2634 are quoted for the three additional Armed Forces Appeal Boards. An item bf £23,055 is shown as a credit against the national service organisations through the taking over of the Home Guard by the Army Department. The fees and expenses of the special tribunals appointed to decide alternative service for conscientious objectors amount to £I9SO. There is ail item of £40.000 in the health vote representing the amount of contributions previously payable by local dental clinic committees at the rate of £3O a nurse a year. This has been discontinued since July 1 this year. , , , , . The purchase of the Blackball colliery is covered in the State Coalmines account by an item ot £30,000, while £2500 is provided for the purchase and . installation oi plant. Mining expenses are set down at £28.000, and stores for collieries at £2OOO. „ The building of cottages on the Westport-Inanaahua line is estimated in the Public Works Fund Account at £lB,OOO. There is £50,000 for the Hutt Valley railway extenSl< The sum of £lO,OOO each is allocated to the Nelson and Greymouth road districts. The Unauthorised Expenditure Account for 1940-41 includes £550 to cover the expenses of the economic stabilisation conference: £562 for the air transport for the former Gover-nor-General, Lord Galway, and his family on their return to Britain: and £l4O by way of grants to the High Commissioner’s staff to meet evacuation expenses. Another item is £6O to erect a shed and reception box at Island Bay for the storage of fish livers. The Supplementary Estimates were passed im less than two hours, after comparatively little discussion.

OTHER VOTES In addition to the sum of £lOO,OOO provided in the main estimates, an extra amount of £275,000 is provided under the Social Security Department as war pensions and allowances required to cover casualties from Greece and Crete. The Government motor vessel Maui Pomare is estimated to involve for alterations an extra £4OOO above the £32,500 provided in the main estimates. ■ Linen flax development in the

South Island is estimated to absotb another £116,000. Of this, £114,000 is for erecting and operating factories in various centres.