SUPPLEMENTARY ESTIMATES

New Zealand Times, Volume XL, Issue 9172, 12 October 1915, Page 7

SUPPLEMENTARY ESTIMATES

ITEMS CONSIDERED. The House adjourned at 8.45 p.m. until the ringing of tho bell in order to await the arrival of the, Supplementary Estimates from the printing office. When the House resumed -at P*mthe Estimates were considered in Committee of Supply. , . . Referring to the proposed Boa-vd ot Trade, the Minister for Finance (Right Hen; Sir Joseph Ward) said that ho thought th© salaries provided for tii© three nominated members of the Board of Trade (£IOOO, £GOO and £000) would be sufficient to secure competent men. The -president would select a secretary for the board at a suitable salary. _ The Minister for Education said that ho appointment had been made in succession to the ■ late Director of Physical Education. The appointment would be advertised in New Zealand. , nAa\ On the item for school buildings Mr McCallum (Wairau) made a l en gw protest regarding the refusal of the Education Department to meet his wishes with regard to a certain school in Marlborough. The Department had P TO " posed to spend £S9 in moving a. scikku building in order to- meet reQ’jiroments, and Mr McCallum wanted the money spent on a new. building, which the.local I>caple would subsidise. i « - A BAD DEBT.

Mr Payne (Grey Lynn) asked' for an explanation o fa vote of £14,031, a sum written off tho accounts of the Public Works Department in connection with a loan to the Waitara Harbour Board. . Mr Jennings (Taumarunui): The explattatioh is that if was the . cost or winning the Taumarunui scat.. ■, - Mr Massey: "That is most unfair. The debt is twenty-five ox ; thiryfcy years., old, and the department reported' that it was not possible to recover it or to get interest. v It was decided to write it on. Mr Jennings;. "The- Liberal Government would not do it— IMPORTED WHEAT. % Mr McCombs' (Lyttelton) drew attention to thcr vote of l £93,771 to cover the difference between the prioo paid by, the Government . for (imported wheat and the selling price. ' He..said tho country. i-eceived no benefit-at all from _ this expenditure, which had not kept ’down the price of bread, and .had simply_ put money into the pockets of a few individuals. . i. The Prime Minister ©aid there was not. a shadow ’ of doubt that the Govern- , meat's purchases saved ■ tho country .fro lo a wheat Th© vote which the House was ■ being-.- asked to make covered three items —the coat of .the options, the difference between the .purchase price and the selling price* and, the cost of cofK° which had )arrived late. The ©clung, value of this cars'© was not included in the figures. . ,* Mr Wilford (Hutt); "What have you lost on tho Canadian options? Mr Massey: "I don’t .know.. ine Canadian Government , 'is stowing, wheat for us, arid 'wo could sell it tomorrow. W©' have not sold it because the position is not yet clear in this country/* . HOUSE ADJODRN9. The Estimateswere passed, and the House adjourned at 11.30 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. to-day, when the Appropriation Bill will bo brought; down. • ; ,