TRAVELLING ALLOWANCES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 30 September 1924, Page 3

TRAVELLING ALLOWANCES.

COST OVER £200,000

AN OPPOSITION PROTEST. "WELLINGTON, Sept. 26. The Taranaki Herald’s Wellington correspondent telegraphs: During the discussion on the lands estimates in the House of Representatives to-day, the Leader of the Opposition drew attention to the fact that the total amount , of the travelling expenses of the officers of State departments .for the year was no less than £207,699.

Tli principal items were: Land and income tax £1764, railways £3446, post and telegraph £15,077, Native Department £3043; Justice £10,355, police £15,962, pensions £4977, mines £2057, internal affairs £11,320, audit £3788, health £13,137, defence £6176, marine £5896, labour £4665, lands £4525, valuation £6297, agriculture £34,503. education £22,218, forests £2030, Public Trustee £4212, naval defence (passages, travelling allowances, etc.) £23,424 % Mr Wilford said he felt it his duty to draw attention to the matter in order that the Government might see their way to reduce this huge total, which he wished to make clear did not include, transfer and removal expenses. During a general discussion which followed several members claimed that while . the aggregate might appear large, yet, taking department by department, the amounts were not excessive ; in fact, the lower-paid officers complained that the travelling allowancs at the present scale did not cover out of pocket expenses. The Minister of Lands said that a huge department such as his, administering assets valued at £50,000,000, could not expect to get off without paying a fairly substantial amount in travelling expenses in order to maintain efficient supervision. Mr L. M. Isitt (GhristchurelmNorth) said that the Public A cco unts’ : Commi t~ tee had given this matter more consideration during the present session than anything ebe’, and they had received assurances from permanent heads of departments that they would keep the expenditure on travelling down to this lowest figure compatible with efficiencv.

The Minister of Agriculture said he could not reconcile the attitude of the Leader of (the Opposition with the oftrepeated demand for more instructors and inspectors in the Agriculture Department, where the amount of travelling allowances was the greatest of the departments). He assured the House that every item of expenditure in this connection was strictly scrutinised. Air W. H. FiMd’ (Otaki), who said he had gone briefly into the expressed surprise at the..moderate fiature of the travelling expenses. In view of the fact that statements of alleged extravangance would go out to the people, lie hoped each Minister would reply for his department. The Minister of Lands did not attach much, importance to the' protest against the travelling allowances. Motor cars had to he provided in certain districts, otherwise officers could never get round the districts in -a reasonable time.