THE ESTIMATES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18454, 16 January 1922, Page 4

THE ESTIMATES.

The House, of Representatives has this year given distinctly perfunctory consideration to the General Estimates. There was', as a plain/ matter of fact,« very little reason why it should act differently. The esfpmates were those, for the financial year which will end on March 31 next. Nearly 10 months, v consequently, of the year to which the estimates apply have already passed, so that any* criticism which might he directed to the votes would have very little effect upon the expenditure in the current year.. Moreover, the value of the estimates, as a guide to the Government’s intentions, had been greatly discounted by various declarations by the Minister of Finance since the Budget was delivered. The estimates provided for an expenditure of £16,055,112 upoh the departmental services of the country, in addition to votes aggregating £13,211,255 in respect of the permanent appropriations. Mr Massey has said over and over again that the Government, bowing to the need for. the exercise of retrenchment, would effect savings to the extent of some millions in the departmental expenditure. 1 We have frequently expressed the view that these savings, if effected-at all, would not be operative in the , current year, and the abstract of the'public accounts, issued from,time th time, has substantially confirmed this view. The estimates, which Mr Massey virtually abandoned in his' "speeches, may v be in excess of the amount that will be expended in the year, £ut they * ; ' v /V* 1

will be much nearer the amount of the actual disbursements than any figure will be that 'may have been by the utterances of the Minister of . Finance subsequent'to the presentation of the Budget. In any case, however, ’ it is upon the Government that the responsibility rests for the reduction of the public expenditure within limits that will'be an amount \below that of the j public .revenue. It is an onerous responsibility, especially when it ip realised, as must bo realised, that the revenue in the ensuing year from the Sources that have been most fruitful in . the past few years will exhibit an .enor- >' mous shrinkage. -But considerations, political as well as practical, dictate that the Government must solely bear this / responsibility. Because it must “dree itW“ weird” there was small temptation ,• to members of the House to discuss the belated estimates except in so far as they afforded the opportunity to ventilate grievances.