AWAITING BUDGET

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23083, 7 July 1938, Page 14

AWAITING BUDGET

DATE UNCERTAIN EXPLANATION OF DELAY PRINTING THE ESTIMATES SOME LEGISLATION FIRST [by TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON. Wednesday Considerable doubt still exists as to the exact date when the Budget will make its appearance in the House oi Representatives this session. The wish ol' the Prime Minister, Mr. Savage, was that the Financial Statement should bo presented immediately on tho conclusion of tbo Address-in-Reply debate, but the Minister of Finance, the Hon. W. Nash, stated in an interview to-day that it was hardly likely that the Budget would be ready for.at least another week. "All the preparatory work on the statement itself is well advanced," Mr. Nash said, "but matters connected with the printing of the Estimates may cause some delay. However, it is reasonably certain that tho Budget will bo presented before tho end of tho month." The Prime Minister this evening confirmed Mr. Nash's remarks and stated that the trouble was that the Government printing office was not always able to handle expeditiously all the work that was tirgently required. In all probability the Budget and Estimates would not bo ready until after the end of next week, but lie had been informed that there were still many members who wanted to take part in the Address-in-Reply debate. "We will also have some legislation to place before the House during tho next few days," Mr. Savage continued. "The bills which are ready, or which are on the point of completion, are mostly departmental measures which are not likely to prove unduly controversial. They will include some of the bills which were introduced last session for the purpose of being circulated, among them being the Slaughter of Stock and Inspection of Meat Bill, and tho Health Amendment Bill. "There will be several other minor bills as well," Mr. Savage added, "and I suppose members will want to spend a few days discussing them when the Address-in-Reply debate is out of tho way."