DOMINION FINANCES.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VI, Issue 1787, 5 November 1919, Page 6

DOMINION FINANCES.

VOTES AUTHORISED. ESTIMATE OF EXPENDITURE EXCEEDED.

[From Our Own Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, November 5. The Supplementary Estimates were brought down in the House of Representatives tonight. They provide for the expenditure of £1,228,030, which the Minister of Finance (Hon. Sir James Allen) told the Rt. Hon. Sir Joseph Ward (Leader of the Opposition) is £700,000 or £BOO,OOO in excess of his preliminary estimate. • The expenditure under the various heads is as follows: e Legislative Departments 5.175 Department of Finance 16,654 Post and Telegraph Department .. 7.225 Working Railways Department .. 500,000 Public Buildings, Domains, and Maintenance of Roads 4.460 Native Department 3,244 Justice Department 62,680 Mines Department 3,396 Department of Internal Affairs .. 225,516 Mental Hospitals, Public Health Hospitals and Charitable Aid Department 57,357 Tourist Department 11,270 Defence Department 28,725 Customs, Marine and Harbours, and , Inspection of Machinery Department 33,726 Department of Labour 4,866 Department of Lands Survey .. .. 32,889 Valuation and Electoral Departments 10,690 Department of Agriculture, Industries and Commerce 42,978 Education Department 27.267 Public Works Department 9,060 Lighthouses, Harbour Works, and Harbour Defences 1,854 Tourist and Health Resorts .. .. 0,000 Department of Immigration .... 47 Roads, Bridges, and other Public Works 37,085 State Forests Account 13,299 State Coal Mines Account 20,469 Land for Settlement Account .. .. 2.407 Public Trustees Account 16,071 Government Insurance Account .. 10,272 State Fire Insurance Account .. .. 4,463 State Advances Account 2,369 Native Land Settlement Account .. , 200 Discharged Soldiers Settlement Account .. ". 20.000 Scenery Preservation Account .. .. 7,798 Total £1,228,030 The principal items from a national and from Canterbury points of view are:—

Amount due for credit of the Consolidated Fund, being amount due by the' New Zealand Farmers' Co- » operative Association of Canterbury, Ltd., on account of late payment of income tax 1,410 Cost of Wellington-New PlymouthAuckland mail service, undertaken on account of the railway cut .. 3,500 Fraudulent withdrawals from the Post Office Savings Bank, Christchurch 10 Cosh stolen from Christchurch Parcels Office 173 Expenses of the Royal Commission on the railway cut .800 Compensation for damage by fire caused tlirough blasting onerations on roads, Port Levy block (on account) 2,000 Compensation to storekeepers and others at Rnrotonga for damage to property caused *■ by returned soldiers .'. 1,230 Erection of fruit-packing sheds, Rarotonga 8,000 Increases to salaries of Police Department 28,807 Compassionate allowance to widows of members of the police force who died during the influenza epidemic 2,200 Collection of statistics relating to wool production 750 Additional contribution towards the Railway Superannuation Fund .. 50,000 Additional grant to the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association .. 100 Cost of Samoan Epidemic Commission 1.200 Notional War Memorial 100,000 \ Additional provision for Peace Celebrations * .. 15,000 Subsidy (£ for £) to the Royal LifcSaving Society 87 Additional subsidy to the Boy Scout movement " 500 Additional grant to the Turnbull Library 1,300 Visit of his Excellency the GovernorGeneral to the Cook and other Islands 000 Visit of H.M.S. New Zealand, including cost of entertainment of officers and men 2,000 Additional towards ■ administration of the Social Hygiene Act .... 8,500 Grant to St. John Ambulance Association towards expenses in connection with classes in first aid .. 150 Additional for tracks and huts, Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers .. .. 100 Compassionate allowance, payable on behalf of Robert Clarke on account of injuries sustained through Bomb explosion at Trcntham Camp 250 Contribution towards cost of railway tickets issued to N.Z.E.F. Maori football team 78 Expenses in connection with the. advance of aviation in Dominion 25,000 Refund of duty on collar and harness presented with bulldog (being ship's mascot) by the captain of H.M.S. New Zealand to the Auckland City Council 5 Refund of duty on bacon and hams Imported from Australia, from September 22, 1919, to November 1, 1919 500 Protective works, Clarence River stock reserve 1,000 Additional subsidy (£1 for £1 on account of £2500) for Hie purchase of Elmwood Park, Christchurch .. 500 Bridge over Broken River, giving access to Run 173 250 Remission of rent, Lees Valley soldier settlers*:- ■ S Agricultural instruction 2,000 PaVment to members of the Industries Committee of the House of Representatives for services rendered by them during the last Parliamentary recess, and expenses in connection with the preparation of the report of the committee • 2,010 Subsidy to Lincoln College in connection with plant breeding and selection (seed wheat and oats) .. 500 Salaries of public school relieving teachers, who were displaced by the return of soldier teachers during the months of November and December, 1918, and January, 1919, and for whom no other positions could be found, owing to closing of schools during the influenza epidemic .. .. 1,001 Additional grants to Education Boards for general purposes—nine boards each at £250 .. .. 2,250 Incidental expenses of school committees, supplementary to grants under the Education Amendment Act, 1919 5,000 New Brighton Post Office site *.. .. 375 Purchase of additional area and development of Tongariro National Park 0,000 Additional purchase of State coalmining properties 16,000 Acquisition of land set apart for landless South Island Natives .. 3,500 Railwaymcn's pay increases .. .. 450,000 ESTIMATES DISCUSSED.

When the Post and Telegraph Estimates were under review the Hon. J. G. Coates (Postmaster-Gene-ral) said Ihe question of a bonus to the Post and Telegraph Service was still under consideration, and a statement would be made later. The Hon. A. T. Ngata (Eastern Maori), referring to the Dominion Museum, pleaded for early provision for the proper housing of the priceless collection in the present old building. Complete records should also be secured of Maori songs and legends. In reply to questions regarding the recent disaster to the steamer Tainui, the Hon. \V. H. Hemes (Minister of Marine) said the Government was considering the question of prohibiting the carriage of benzine cargoes in wooden ships. In the case of the Tainui, the Government was endeavouring to lix the responsibility. If the owners were responsible, he had no doubt they would be prosecuted.

Referring to the coal trouble, the Prime Minister (Rt. Hon. W. F. Massey) deprecated the go-slow policy. If the miners would only indicate on what points they differed from the owners, then they might arrive at a settlement. He asked the Labour representatives in the House to use their influence with the miners to increase the coal supplies. Mr H. E. Holland (Grey) declared that it was the owner and not the miner who was exploiting the people, and he said the remedy was nationalisation of the mines. The final vote of the Supplementary Estimates was passed at 1.35 a.m. The Rt. Hon. Sir Joseph Ward (Leader of the Opposition) said the amount of the Supplementary Estimates was the largest in the his"tory of the Dominion, and £772,892 in excess of the Minister's estimate given to the House on September 23. He wanted to know how this large discrepancy had arisen in such a short period. Mr Massey said it was due to the cleaning-up after the War. . The Hon. Sir James Allen, replying to Sir Joseph Ward's question re the increase in the Estimates, twitted Sir Joseph Ward with asking for increases to the Post and Telegraph Service and soldiers' gratuities. Although it appeared from the Estimates that there would be a deficit at the end of March next, he had faith in the country. If the people did their best to increase the production of the countrv, he believed there would be a surplus, instead of a deficit, next March. The resolution of the Committer was agreed to.