THE ESTIMATES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3774, 13 July 1926, Page 16

THE ESTIMATES.

ITEMS OF INTEREST. WELLINGTON, July 8. The sum of £26,950 is provided for the New Zealand-San Francisco service and £21,550' for the New Zeal and-Vancouver service. The total charge for and incidental to the carriage of mails across the Pacific is £71,360. For motor services £140,000 is requested; £122,650 was spent last year. Respecting the £21,000 which is sought for departmental building!, it is explained dhat heavier expenditure thaq usual is expected from the old provincial buildings in Christchurch, departmental buildings in Nelson, and at the Ministerial residences in Wellington. £55,000 is asked for Public. Works workshops. It is proposed to move the Wellington workshop from the present premises. £I3OO Is to be spent on Government House, Wellington, and £550 on Government House, Auckland. £30,000 is required for roads, £25,000 for renewals of bridges, £33,000 for the restoration of roads and bridges damaged by floods, and £35,000 it to be transferred from the Consolidated Fund to the highways aooount £5423 is to be voted for speoiat annuities. Moat of the old annuities to a flew ex-members and the widows of deceased members of Parliament are to be ffaeted.

1 The usual £I2OO subsidy is to be renewed for prospecting for gold. £I6OO is on the Estimates for Cheeseman's Manual of New Zealand Flora, £9OO for the cost of publishing the geomorphology of New Zealand, £SOO for the third edition of New Zealand plants and their story, £250 for the Topographio History of Banks Peninsula, and £l5O for "Wild Life in New Zealand,” Part 2. £1345 is down for books, folders, posters, and publications, £13,600 for the preparation and purchase of films and sundries, and £2850 for photographs and lantern slides. The total vote for advertising is £33,364 (part recoverable). £3713 is proposed for the expenses of the Agricultural Banks’ Commission. A total of £2436 has already been expended under this heading out of the £SOOO voted last year. Under the heading of the Department of Health the grants in aid of the Karitane Hospitals, Plunket nurses, etc., are the same as last year. The net total vote for naval defence Is £533,828 as against £441,203 spent last year. £19,400 Is to be provided for the purchase of aircraft, spares, and Equipment—£lß,7ls was spent last year. £ISOO is to be voted in connection with salmon fisheries and £SOO for sea fisheries' investigation. Borne other items are:— Grass seed for Crown lands, £I2OO. Experiments In connection .with the development of gum lands, £OOO. Compulsory enrolment of electors, expenses 0 f checking, £IOOO (neve vote)* I

Grant to Cawthron Institute towards cost | of Dr Tilyard’s visit to America and Europe, £250. Grant to Lincoln College in connection with breeding of wheat and oats, £IOOO. Compensation to nurserymen in connection with the outbreak of fireblight in Taranaki, £529. The guarantee of shipments of fruit has been Increased from £3OOO to £25,000 in view of increased export shipments. A sum of £3220 is provided for equipping a butter and cheese factory that is to be established for demonstration purposes. A sum of £4500 is provided for the extension of instructional work in connection with rural industries, including the fostering of boys’ and girls’ agricultural clubs. For subsidies to rabbit boards the vote is raised from £10,500 to £15,000 as an increase in the number of boards is expected. The votes for the destruction of rabbits on Crown and native lands are £BSOO and£6soo respectively. They were £IO,OOO and £7500 last year, when £0487 and £5423 respectively were expended. Last year’s vote of £IO,OOO for the purchase of kauri gum does not reappear. The full sum of £IO,OOO was expended. ' The expenses incurred in conducting the General Election amounted to £26,320, and those of the triennial licensing poll were £13,379. The respective votes last year were £25,000 and £12,000. The preparation and printing of rolls cost £40,074, the vote bein g£45,000. The vote for the improvement, maintenance and repair of main highways is Waited

from £270,000 to £560.000, last year’s expenditure having been £287,193. It is explained that local bodies generally are providing larger amounts than originally estimated as their contribution towards maintenance, and it is necessary to provide additional funds for the payment of £ for £ subsidies. The State forest services vote for timber testing- equipment and apparatus is £5490, compared with £2658 last year, when £312 was expended. The increase is for the establishment of a drying kiln and forest products laboratory. The sum of £4750 is provided for the establishment of a State plantation at Maramarama to serve the Auckland forest “region." A vote of £1250 is proposed for a similar establishment at Pebbly Hil)> Southland. Last year’s unexpended vote of £2275 for the nursery at Riverhead, Auckland, is raised to £3700. £IOOO is to be provided for experimental investigation work upon irrigation in Central Otago. A new item under Working Railways is £4500 for. the printing and publication of a railway magazine. £2OOO is to be voted for members of the Railways Department visiting Australia, Africa, England and America on official business. The sum of £4OOO was voted last year and £IBOO was "pent,