GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21195, 28 November 1930, Page 6

GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE.

■ *- EFFICIENCY AND ECONOMY. STATEMENT BY SIR APIRANA NGATA. y (Special to Daily Times.) a WELLINGTON. November 27. A meeting of Ministers of the Crown and the permanent heads of departments was held to-day for the purpose of discussing administrative efficiency and economy, and subsequently Sir Apirana Ngata, on behalf of the Acting Prime Minister (Mr E. A. Ransom), denied the statement that the Government’s expenditure was proving greater than was anticipated. He added; “ Further reference to the speech in the House by the Acting Minister o£ Finance on the Appropriation Bill will show that at that stage there had occurred evidence of a falling off in Customs revenue which it was estimated would amount at least to £250,000 for the year., , The steps to be taken to meet the position were indicated, and it was then hoped, by careful administration and a close control over expenditure for the second half of the year, that the accounts would be balanced as at March 31 next. Subsequent events have confirmed the belief that not only •the estimated shortage in the Customs revenue would accrue, but, in addition, that there was a probability of a serious revenue shortage in railway interest compared with the amount allowed for in the Budget. The position now reached is, therefore, due to the contracting revenue, and not to the possibility of the expenditure proving greater than was expected.” Sir Apirana Ngata concluded by, saying that the Government had recognised all along that this year would be a particularly difficult one from the point of view of finance, and had fully tagen the country into its confidence in the matter. Themeeting to-day was merely one of . the cogs in a long series of events which'the Government had dealt with in order to meet the economic difficulties of the times and was an indication that the country could rely on the Government doing everything possible to keep the public finances on an even keel.