THE ESTIMATES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24336, 28 June 1940, Page 8

THE ESTIMATES

MARKED EFFECT OF WAR SEVERAL VOTES REDUCED PUBLIC WORKS PRUNED BIG INCREASE IN AGRICULTURE /- (Per United Press Association) WELLINGTON, June 27. The Estimates which were presented with to-night’s Budget show the marked effect which the war is having on New Zealand’s internal life. There are reductions in quite a number of votes in which increases might reasonably have been expected in other circumstances, and where increases are actually recorded most of them are for small amounts in comparison with past years. Under the heading permanent appropriations. the amount expended last year was £17,842,603. while the estimate for the present financial year’s expenditure is £15,133,772. The decrease is on account of the transfer last year to the War Expenses Account of the unexpended portion of the navy, army, and air force votes, totalling £2,287,826. The amount expended last year under annual appropriations was £19.812,217. while the estimate for this year is £21,650,427. Under the heading of departmental votes, the Treasury Department estimate of £60,000 for this year shows an increase of approximately £IO,OOO, this amount being required chiefly for new equipment for the new mechanical accounting system. The Land and Income Tax Department vote of £170,000 this year shows an increase of £15.000 on last year. This is mainly made up by payments to the Post and Telegraph Department for the collection of income tax and t social security revenue, etc. The Public Service Commissioner’s office vote shows an increase of £2500, chiefly due to staff increases. In the Internal Affairs Department Estimate this year of £508,500 there is a reduction on last year’s expenditure of £IO,OOO. This decrease to a large extent is accounted for by the fact that there were no centennial celebrations this year. Tnclud deni ihst tions this year. Included in this vote is provision for grants to the Polish relief fund, earthquake, deaths in Turkey and Red Cross work in Finland of £SOOO each. New Zealand currency. Another interesting item is £2OOO for the National Centennial Exhibition of New Zealand art in the main cities and towns throughout the Dominion. Most of this sum, however, will be recoverable.. There is also a refund of £l,ll made by the Minister of Finance of his grant of £ 1200 in connection with his trip last year to the United Kingdom, and another refund of £2OO of an additional grant made to the Minister of Lands in connection with his visit to Geneva, The External Affairs vote this year is £215,943, showing an increase of £7700 on last year. This increase is largely absorbed by'the cost of .repairs to the Government’s vessel Maui Pomare. The printing and stationery vote this year totals £300,000, an increase of £49,000, which is due to the payment for stationery,, paper, etcetera, a portion of which did hot come to hand last year. , ■CY One of the largest ..votes in the Estimates is that for the' Labour Department of £2,717,722.. This amount, however, is a reduction of £164,000 on last year’s expenditure and is mostly due to decreased provision for the promotion of employment. The Native’ Department vote, is £470,000, a decrease of £34,300, owing to the decreased amount transferred for Native land settlement this year. The Police Department vote this year Is £645,000, an increase of £17,500, chiefly on account of the additional staff employed owing to the war situation. . , The maintenance, public works and services vote totals £650,000 this year, which is a heavy reduction of £440,000 on last year’s expenditure. This is largely attributable to the charges for aerodromes and emergency landing grounds being transferred to the War Expenses Account. The Land and Survey Department estimate this year is £400,000. an increase of £40,000 on last year. This increase is partly due to the transfer to the Public Works Fund of £BO,OOO on account of small farms development, etc. A substantial increase is shown in this year’s vote for agriculture cf £1,649,000, the increase being £675,000, a large portion of which is on account of subsidies on the manufacture of fertilisers totalling £630,600. An increase of £170,700 is also shown in the Industries and Commerce vote of £521,615. This vote includes a grant of £223,905 for the development of the wheat industry in the Dominion. , ~ , The substantial subsidy of £170,000 for coal production is chiefly responsible for the increase of £175,500 in the- Mines Department vote ot. £250,000. V . , - .. The 'effect ot the Social Security scheme; is evident in the Health Department vote this year of a reduction on last year of £ 15,500. The vote includes a reduction of the subsidy to hospital boards of £119,000 on account of the operations of the Social Security Act. The mental hospitals vote oi £442.000 is an increase of £138.000 on last year, this being accounted for by the higher credits-in-aid, due to the recoveries of arrears of fees outstanding when the Social Security Act came into force. . ’ Increases in the teachers' salaries are largely responsible for the increase of £158,000 in the Education Department vote this year of £4 630,000. . . The Social Security vote shows that the transfer from the Consolidated Fund to the Social Security Fund has been increased from £1,000.000 'ast year to £3.200,000 this year. The National Provident Fund and Friendly Societies’ Department vote of £109.000 this year is a decrease of £IO,OOO on last year's expenditure largely attributable to the fact of maternity claims on friendly societies being charged against the Social Security Fund. The Lands for Settlement Account vote of £339.900 this year is an increase of £161,700. It is noted that last year there was no expenditure for the acquisition of lands, etc . The Social Security Fund vote this year includes hospital benefits £1,237,000, an increase of £462,800 on last year, and maternity benefits >£430,000. an increase on the previous year’s expenditure of £167.000. Provision is also made for £IO.OOO each for medical benefits and pharmaceutical benefits. The State Coal Mines shows an increase of £93,000 in the vote of £442.839. largely due to increased production. while the State Forests vote of £500.000 is a decrease of £53,000 on last year. The Working Railways Account is the largest vote on the Estimates. The total this year is £8,633,909. an increase of half a million, which is chiefly to be absorbed in the maintenance of rolling stock. . „ . . Another large vote is that of the Post Office Account, which total £4.025,462 this year, an increase of £237,000. chiefly accounted for by the amounts set aside for the depreciation An increase of £109.600, chiefly for capital expenditure, land, buildings, etc., is made in the State Fire Insurance vote of £181,212. Four new accounts appear in this year’s Estimates. They are the Meat

Industry ' Account of £39,223, Sundry Products Account of £22,136, Wool Industry Account of £32,538, and the Fruit Industry Account of £12,108. The Broadcasting Account this year is £313,588. an increase of £61,000. The National Broadcasting Board vote is increased by £42,000 on last year's expenditure, and the Commercial Broadcasting Account by £17,000. The Iron and Steel Industry Account is £IO,OOO, a decrease of £21,500 owing to the fact that the preliminary work in connection with the development of the Onekaka deposits has been considerably curtailed. RAILWAYS EXPENDITURE A' HEAVY REDUCTION MORE MONEY FOR LAND WORK (From Oub Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, June 27 A heavy reduction in the expenditure from the Public Works Fund is made in the Estimates submitted tonight to the House of Representatives. The votes for general purposes are reduced from £13,296,100 last year to £6,524,000. The expenditure from the electric supply account is estimated at £2,750.000. compared with £1.878,000 last year. The amount to be provided for the main highways account is £3,533,200, against last year’s vote of £5,517,200. The summary of the Eslimates are: — 1940-41 1939-40. £ £ Public works departmental •. 190,000 210,000 Railways— Construction .. 700,000 1.255,000 Improvements and additions to open lines 1.500.000 3,300,000 Public buildings .. 1,050,000 1,250,000 Education buildings 700.000 900,000 Lighthouses and harbour works 30,000 42,100 Tourist resorts develpoment • • 25,000 35,000 Roads, etc 500.000 1,400,000 Telegraph extension 325.000 600.000 Lands improvement 350.000 330.000 Irrigation, water supply. and drainage .. .. 425,000 390.000 Swamp land drainage 9,000 14,000 Small farms development .. .. 370,000 695.000 Native land settlement 350,000 675.000 In last year’s Estimates. £2,200,000 was provided for defence, but all the expenditure was charged to the war expenses account. The vote asked for .lands improvement includes dairy industry loans, which were formerly shown as a separate vote, while that for small farms settlement includes the previous vote for the settlement of unemployed workers. THE OTAGO DISTRICT MAIN HIGHWAYS VOTES A HEAVY CURTAILMENT (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, June 27. The main highways votes for Otago are heavily reduced in the Public Works Estimates submitted to the House of Representatives to-night Votes for construction and reconstruction in the No. 16 Central Otago and the No. 17 South Otago highway districts are £77,000 and £75,600 respectively, compared with £150,000 and £139,000 last year. The renewal votes with those for last year in parentheses are:—’ No. 16 £3OOO (£11,000). No. 17 £3OOO (£6000). The votes Tor maintenance, repair, etc 3X6* No. 16 £34,500 (£54,000), : - No. 17 £23,8,00 (£40,000). '. ■ Increased provision is made for lands improvement in the Dunedin district, the amount to be voted being £4OOO against £IOSO last year. Postal building votes, include £9OOO for office and residence at Mosgiel, £20,000 for store and?: workshops at Dunedin, £IOOO for additions to the Cromwell office, and £l5O for the site for line building at Roxburgh. The sum of £4IOO is provided for the'erection and equipment of Public Works Departmental workshops at Dunedin, and £SOOO for additions to the Dunedin courthouse, tor which £IO,OOO was-voted last year and only £5 was spent. A new police office is to be built at South Dunedin at a cost of £I2OO, and £SOO is provided for work at the Central Station, for which work costing £29,000 is planned Lockups are to be built at the Lawrence and Naseby Police Stations at Omakau, Otiirehua and Pembroke, and £5900 is voted to complete the work at the Port Chalmers station.