THE ESTIMATES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1900, 3 July 1890, Page 5

THE ESTIMATES.

(Fbom Oub Own Cobbespondent.J Wellington, June 26. The following is a summary of the Estimates for the current year, which were laid on the table last evening:— Ordinary Revenue Account.— Permanent appropriations : Civil list, £26,300 ; interest and sinking fund, £1,876,622; under special acts of the Legislature, £242,101. Annual appropriation! : Legislative department, £14,635; Colonial Secretary's department, £47,767; Colonial Treasurer's department, £22,060; Justice department, £118,703; Postal and Telegraph department, £251,477; Customs and Marine department, £71,464; Stamps and Deeds department, £21,185 ; Minister of Education department, £375,414 ; Lunacy and Charitable department, £41,813; Dative department, £22,188; Mines and Lands departments, £46,287 ; Working Railways department, £78,000; Publio Buildings and Domains department, £86,515 ; Defence department £165,826 ; total ordinary revenue account, £4,127,417. Land Fund Account.— Permanent appropriations under special acts of the Legislature, £30,300. Annual appropriations: Grown Lands and Survey department, £93,857; rates on Crown lands, £2400 ;-total laud fund account, £116,557. Total consolidated fund, £323,974. Publio Trust Office Expenses account, £8072 ; Government Insurance account, £44,059. In the Legislative department, the second clerk assistant in the House of Representatives is reduced from £400 to £350, the services of the reader are dispensed with, contingencies are increased from £700 to £800, the custodian of Parliament buildings is increased from £250 to £275, and the vote for passages of members is increased from £600 to £CSO. In the Registrar-general's department there is an increase in the vote for census and agricultural statistics from £2000 to £3000. In the Agent-general's department new items are — consulting engineer £800, and clerk to same £120. The Government printer and manager of the stationery office gets an increase from £450 to £500. In the printing and stationery department small increases have been granted to the majority of bands. Under miscellaneous services £10,000 was voted to the Dunedin Exhibition, but £13,261 was expended and £800 is asked for the same purpose this year ; and £700 is also asked for the Paris Exhibition, £300 being voted and .£348 expended. Last year in the Colonial Secretary's department, in misceii&neous services, occur the following new items :— New Zealand and Australasian Science Association, £500; relief to settlers in connection with the Taranaki bush fires, £550; payment to the Rev. H. C. M. Watson, as a contribution towards expenses incurred in lecturing on New Zealand in England, £150. Under friendly societies' registration appears £210 for a new clerk and an increase of £250 to the registrar. In the Justice department the undersecretary gets an increase from £425 to £450. For criminal proßecutions, expensos of witnesses, there is a reduction from £6500 to £6000, and for the payment of jurors there is an increase from £1200 to £1500. In the Postal and Telegraph department there is a decrease in the total vote from £283,153 to £251,477. Under the head of conveyance of mails by sea there is a reduction in the San Francisco service of from £20,326 to £6923, and £800 bonus for the service voted last year does not appear this year; On interprovincial service (San Francisco service), there is a decrease from £3500 to £2154. ' For the direct service to Plymouth, with bonus, there is a dectease from £19,170 to £10,454. In the Marine department £3500 is put down for Stephens Island Lighthouse. Under the Education ° department, education boards get £332,250, as against £318,000 voted last year. In the same department there is a grant proposed of £1000 towards the foundation of a working men's college and technical institute at Donedin. In the Lunacy department the Seacliff Asylum gets a new assistant medical officer at '£2so. In the Native department, under miscellaneous services, £1500 is put down for the expenses of tbe commissioners under <( The Native Land Courts Act Amendment Act 1889." In the Lands department a new vote of £600 is put down for the importation of stoats and weasels. Last year .there was no vote for this purpose. For the destruction, of rabbits on Crown lands there are increased votes in Auckland, Wellington, and some other districts. 1 Attached to the working railway estimates is i a memorandum by the commissioners, whioh states :— " The estimated expense^ for the year ,1890-91, £678,000, are increased mainly pn.ac- ; count of the great rise in iron, and to a less .extent by the increased mileage tobewoiked, I and by the large growth in traffic; but they are i slightly below the actual expense "of the year 1 1889-90. The revenue is estimated at a 'smaller sum than has been received during the .past year, because the large passenger traffic due to the Dunedin exhibition will not be available during the coming year, and the flax trade and the contingent business arising out of it have fallen off. The estimated gross revenue for the year is put at £1,080,000, as againat £1,030,000 last year. { Uuder the heading of public buildings £700 is put down for repairs to Government House, Auckland, as against £1400 expended the year previously. For Wellington Government House (preparations for the new Governor, drains, &c.) £1000 is put down, as against £2625 expended the year before. For school buildings there is an increase from £25,000 to £40,000, and there are new votes of £2000 for Native school buildings, and £8000 for the institution for deaf mutes. In the Defence department a vote of £2000 appears for additional ammunition and equipment for heavy guns. In the Crown lands department the chief clerk gets an increase from £350 to £375. In fees to members of tbe Waste Lands Boards, including travelling expenses, there is a reduction from £1000 to £800.