FAST APPROVAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23718, 26 July 1940, Page 9

FAST APPROVAL

.WORK ON THE ESTIMATES

THE FINAL £13,000,000 Ui • - / _ ONLY ONE ITEM LEFT [BT TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] "WELLINGTON, Thursday In an effort to complete consideration of the, last batch of the Estimates, a total of 15 classes, representing an expenditure of £13,291,464, urgency i* was taken in the House of Representatives to-daj T .' There was considerable discussion or various items this afternoon, particularly on the votes for the Railways and Industries, and Commerce Departments, but better- progress was made tonight and nearly half the work had been done by the time the House adjourned for supper at 9.30 o'clock. Once again members spoke crisply and briefly, avoiding repetition and jnaking an obvious effort to expedite the proceedings. Ministerial explanations were, as a rule, equally concise. Some surprise was caused by the vote for the St'ate Coal Mines Account being passed without comment, as a debate on this item had been expected, but a minute or two sufficed for it to be completed. ' The items for which urgency was taken to-day were:—lndustries and Commerce Department, £521,615; Railways Department, £8,633,909; Iron and; Steel Industry Account, £10.000; Printing and Stationery Department, £300,000; Mines Department, £250,000; State Coal Mines Account, £442.839. Native Department, £470,000; Native Trustees' Account, £16,670; Lands and Survey Department, £400,000; Lands for Settlement Account, £399,900; State Forests Account, £500,000; Marine Department, £172,000; Police Department, £645,000; Broadcasting 1 Account, £313,588; External Affairs Department, £215,943. Only the Broadcasting Account remained to be considered when the House rose at midnight. It will be discussed to-morrow before the House „ deals with the Public Works estimates. WAGES AND PRICES - MOVEMENTS DURING YEAR DEPARTMENTAL FIGURES [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Thursday 'A rise of 0.5 per cent in the nominal Vage-rate in the year ended March, 1940, against an advance of 4.8 per cent in retail prices, is shown-in the annual report of the Department of Industries and Commerce, presented to the House of Representatives. The report says that, on the basis of the 1926-30 figure equalling 1000, the nominal' wage-rate index in March, 1939, was 1097. By March, 1940, it had risen five points, to 1102, or by 0.5 per centl .Over the same period retail prices advanced by 46 points, or 4.8 per. cent. In March, 1939, on a basis of tho 1926 figure equalling 1000, the index of effective wages stood at 1134. By March, 1940, it had fallen to 1089, a loss of 45 points, or '319 per cent. "It has been said," the report con> tinues, "that price control has been more rigid in New Zealand than that in any other part of the British Commonwealth,'but the necessity for such "control may be gauged by the rapid and large increases which took place in countries where control was less rigid. f "While it has not been possible to maintain prices at pre-war levels, profit margins per - unit have, generally speaking, been left at those levels up to the present,and it is obvious that such action has been of considerable benefit to all consumers.". PROMPT ACTION TAKEN ANTICIPATION OF WAR [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] r WELLINGTON, Thursday "The planning by the organisation for national security in anticipation ?of the outbreak- of war made it possible " to change over from peace-time to wartime conditions with remarkable celerity and smoothness," states the annual report of the Marine Department, which was presented in .the House of Representatives to-day. The report adds that the Orders-in-Council taking the necessary emergency powers for control of ownership and the requisitioning of shipping were ready, within a few hours of the declaration of war had passed through the Cabinet. QUESTION UNANSWERED i THE UNDER-SECRETARY IDEA / [BY TELEGRAPH SPECIAL REPORTER] ~ / WELLINGTON, Thursday "Is the Government contemplating .•setting up any more under-secre-tariesr 1 " asked Mr. H. S. S. Kyle (Opposition—Riccarton) during the dehate on the Internal Affairs Department estimates in the House, when .referring to an item of £ISOO provided for travelling allowances and expenses of Ministers and Parliamentary undersecretaries. '* .' . v "Have we any under-secretanes now?" Mr. Kyle continued. He expressed, the view that after its past experience the Government might not make any more such appointments. The Minister, the Hon. W. E. Parry, did not reply to the question. TRAINS IN THE NORTH REQUEST FOR IMPROVEMENT [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Thursday A plea for improved railway facilities in the far north and in particular for a better type of carriage than that at Present in use there was made by Mr. C. W. Boswell (Government —Bay of Islands), when the estimates of ex- . penditure of the Working Railways Account were under consideration in the House to-dav. The Minister, tho _Hon. D. G. Sullivan, said .he underftood there would be an improvement „ W rolling stock next week. . Mr. Boswell said the state of carnages north of Whangarei, at the end °* a long day, made travelling very unpleasant. He also asked whether the service could//be speeded up to enable fetter connections with other services to be made. , . Mr. Sullivan replied that there was some difficulty in (speeding tip the servi°e north of Auckland, due to the configuration of the country. Steps ?® re being taken, however, to try to ■'£ briI )g about better co-ordination in the T arious forms of transport that might .save gome time. I