FEDERAL BUDGET

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7943, 28 October 1911, Page 5

FEDERAL BUDGET

PROPOSED EXPENDITURE A MILLION AND A HALF FOR THE FLEET. By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyrisht MELBOURNE, October 27. A veto of £700,000 is allotted in tho Federal budget this year, and a similar amount for next year, to bring tho telegraph and tolophone systems to an efficient state, while a special additional vote of £600,000 will be paid into a trust fund to bo used during tho next two or three years. A sum of £IOO,OOO is allotted for establishing tho Federal capital. Tho Treasurer proposes to uso £1,112,079 of tho surplus for fleet construction, tho total voto under this head being £1,515,000. Tho postal revenue last year amounted to £3,947,613, and tho expenditure to £3,501,928. Tho postal expenditure for tho current year is estimated to exceed tho revenue by £474,000. A sum of £22,500 has been appropriated for the initial expenditure on tho Transcontinental Railway. Tho proposed expenditure on new works includes:—Military College, £40,000; naval barracks and submarine depot, £53,000; small arms fac tory, £19,000; four batteries of field artillery, £45,000; rifles. for senior cadets, £65,000; wireless stations, £16,800.

It is stated in the Budget that the amount repayable to tbo States during the current year is £5,806,250. Amongst the chief items of expenditure last year were the following;— Construction of fleet, £1,075,000; invalid and old ago pensions, £371,318 sugar bounty, £228,478; collecting census, £96,325.

It is evident that there is a. mistake ir the' foregoing massage iu regard to the amount expended' on, old a pro and invalid pensions. A cable message sent from Meiboumo on October X4t.li elated that the cumber of old ago pensioners in the Commonwealth was 82,953, and that tho total expenditure had been £2.054,364. The invalid pension scheme came into operation in Do f ember last. Tho Common wealth statistician estimated that the amount re--1 QuireJ nntlor tho sclicmo would bo £210.000 por annum As tho figure® given by Mr Fisher on Thursday were for t.lio year ended Juno 30th, it follows that. tho sum spent this i ear on invalid pensions was about i -s.JOf* The expenditure on old are pensions in tdie Commonwealth during the precoding year was £1.493,000, or 6s lOd per head of tho population. GOVERNMENT'S INTENTIONS. THE RESULT OF THE LAND TAX SYDNEY, October 27. Tho Prime Minister (Air Andrew Eisher) announced that a now department (tho Prime Minister’s) would , be created. ' Referring to the Vancouver mail service, ho said the contract had not been renewed, but provision had been made for paying a poundage rate on mail matter.

Th-e loss on the Pacific cable last year was £48,210, of which amount £6075 was payable by the Commonwealth. Dealing with tho fleet votes, Mr Fisher said that by Juno 30th next, £3,000,000 out of tho £4,000,000 would have been' provided. AVhen all tho ships had been placed in commission, tho estimated annual upkeep was set down at about £750,000. Tho Imperial Government had offered to contribute £230,000 of this sum. The Government, however, had decided that the Commonwealth should bear the full expense, and the Imperial Government was therefore relieved of furnishing a subsidy. Provision had been again, made on the Estimates for the linking up of Australia and Papua by wireless telegraphy, and a sum for developing the rubber plantations there. Mr Fisher mentioned that the report from tho valuers showed that the land tax had not caused any decrease in land values; in many cases there had been an advance since the tax was imposed. A Bill would shortly be introduced to authorise the issue of Commonwealth stocks. He favoured tho consolidation of State debts, but regretted that inquiries had shown that the time was not yet opportune to force this question. He hoped before many years to have a speedier transport service from Australia to all parts of the world. The speed of the present mail service was top slow. Tho time taken on the voyage to England should bo reduced by at least a week. CONGRATULATIONS FROM MU DEAKIN. SYDNEY, October 27. The leader of tho Opposition (the Hon. Alfred Deakin) congratulated Mr Fisher cm his speech. The outlook, he said, was exceedingly encouraging.