DEFENCE COSTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22846, 29 September 1937, Page 16

DEFENCE COSTS

GREATER PROVISION LARGE AIR FORCE VOTE REORGANISATION OF SERVICES THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY [ilY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON., Tuesday An expenditure of £1,599,797, or an increase of £107,718 over the sum exponded last year, is provided for in the Defence Estimates. The increase is spread over each of the three services, Navy, Army and Air Force, perhaps the most notable advance being in connection with the air vote, which has grown to £.'515,000 from £206,633 voted and £132,382 spent last year. It is proposed to spend £734,797 on naval services and £550.000 on the Army. Compared with the last Budget under tho previous Government two years ago the Defence Estimates show a j total increase of £585,000. It is stated that apart from the amount required for air services, this increase arises from a policv to which the Government was partially committed on coining into office. Government and League The defence vote and Now Zealand's ■ contribution of £15,000 to tho League of Nations aro items inextricably linked together, it is stated. Government believes there can bo no permanent peace between the nations i other than through a body to which i all tho nations are pledged and bound !to act in accord with principles of agreement, law and order. The Government believes that tho League is such a body,/and by effective application of its principles alone can peace he permanently achieved. Until the League becomes effective tho Government must take the steps necessary inside its powers to defend the Dominion. To this end, and with valuable assistance from Great Britain, an Air Defence Scheme has been organised; the proposals with regard to co-opera-tion in naval & defence have been finalised; and steps have been taken to reorganise the land defences and to co-ordinate the three branches of defenco services to eliminate waste and to ensure tho most effective use of tho country's resources, if and when need may arise. If tho expenditure on tho League of Nations leads to an effective organisation the need will never arise. Details lor Branches Tho following table gives the Estimates for various branches of tho defence services, N compared with tho amounts voted and spent last year:— ■ Estimate Voted Expended 1U37-38 1030-37 1030-37 Naval defence, £ £ all charges .. 731,707 051,030 032,002 Military: Sala branchcs ll . 170,5 91 173,000 105,302 Officers' instrucstruction abroad 7,500 /,0-0 i,511 Purchases, buildinns, maintenance and tram- 3 _ g lgs o o i i7 o o 0 7 .j0 U8 Non-effective setKino 'clubs .. 300 300 203 .. 205,0(50 188,522 115,7(51 Civil . "12,010 21,014 21,802 The naval estimates allot £283,065 for pay, compared with £257,844 voted last year, and £261.594 actually spent, tho substantial incrcaso this year being primarily duo to tho increased personnel of the larger cruisers. t Ammunition Reserves It -is proposed to spend £43,300 on building up reserves of naval armament stores, and on certain stocks of ammunition to bo purchased from Australia instead of from England. Under this heading last year £34,613 was voted and £34,222 expended. A sum of £42,461 is set aside for the completion of tho armament supply depot at Birkenhead, and it is proposed to devote £74,495 toward tho completion of tho Naval Base. The item "Postage, cablegrams, tele- j grams and rent of boxes" has been in- j creased from £620 voted and £783 spent to £3312, tho rise being attributable to an arrangement entered into with the Post and Telegraph Department for tho uso of tho Wellington radio station as a naval radio station. Owing to the larger number of Dominion ratings required to undergo courses overseas, expenditure under this heading is set down at £7265, as against £3600 estimated and £2652 spent last year. The Military Forces

The military estimates total £550.000, compared with £424,703 voted and £427.635 spent last year. On buildings, fortifications and other items it is proposed to spend £43.885, against £60,000 estimated and £65,755 spent last year. Further work on fortifications at Auckland and Wellington will account for out of this total. New issues of uniforms and boots are expected to cost £20,000, about twice as much as the sum expended last year. ■' The expenditure of £112,000 is proposed on ordnance stores, compared with £35,000 voted and £34,189 spent last year. On field and heavy gun ammunition it is estimated to spend £40,000, against £25,000 voted and £41.227 spent in 1936-37. 1 Small arms ammunition is expected to cost £37,500, an increase of £SOOO on last year's estimate. The pnv and allowances to territorials attending camps has been increased to, from £22,000 voted and £19,869 spent last year. Increase for Aviation Formerly considered with the army estimates, military and civil aviation is this year dealt with by a separate vote. It is proposed to set aside £75,021 for pay and administration, compared with approximately £41,000 voted and spent last year. New aircraft is expected to cost £25,000. Last year the estimate under this headinc. was £46,500, but only £12,896 was spent, as orders for new aeroplanes were delayed pending reorganisation. The cost of the territorial and reserve air forces is expected to be £38,900, of which £18,400 is to bo paid in grants to aero clubs for training.

The vote to civil aviation is £42,040. compared with £21,914 voted and £21.802 expended last year, Jndividual items of estimated expenditure include:—Aeradio services, £5000; expenses incidental to landing grounds, £5000; loans to aero clubs for purchase of aircraft, £10.500; purchase of aircraft for loan to clubs, £GOOO. RADIO BEACONS A VOTE OF £20,000 ft MONEY FOR HARBOUR WORKS [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Tuesday A vote of £20,000 for radio directionfinding beacons, ns against one of £4IOO last year, appears in the Public Works estimates. A radio beacon at Baring Head requires £2OOO and an automatic light at Milford Sound, £I2OO. Only £225 of last year's vote was expended. The total voto for lighthouses and harbour works is £35,000, which includes expenditure on the Great Barrier Island and Mangonui wharvoi,