THE LAST MEASURE.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VI, Issue 1788, 6 November 1919, Page 5

THE LAST MEASURE.

APPROPRIATION BILL PASSED. IFrcm Our Own Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, November 5. The 1919 Appropriation Bill did not give rise to much discussion in the House of Representatives, by ■which it was passed to-day. The Bill (a summary of which has been published in The Sun) gave authority beyond matters indicated in that summary for the payment of £2 2/to every member of the Industries Committee for each day of his attendance at sittings while the committee was touring the country. Travelling expenses were also met. The Hon. Sir James Allen (Minister of Defence) moved the second reading. He explained that provision for payment of the salary and allowances to the Governor-General for up to three months after his vacation of office was the result of correspondence with the Imperial Government. The Governor-General had remained in office beyond the usual time, and the Government had been recommended to make this payment. The increased expenditure in the Supplementary Estimates was £1.077,000, and in the Appropriation Bill there was provision for a further £306,000. being a total increase of £1.443,000, against which was set £478.000 of available surplus in -the Budget. The returns for October had just come to hand, and it was gratifying to note that the revenue for the first seven months of this financial vear exceeded that of the corresoonding period of last year by £1,103.000. It would be safe, therefore, in estimating the revenue for the current year, to put it at least £1,100.000 in excess of that of last year. That would make the current year's revenue £23,455,000. as affainst the Budget estimate of £22.919,000. an advance of £536,000. Adding £478,000, given as surplus for the Supplementary Estimates in the Budget, this gave £1.014,000. He did not think it would be safe to estimate the revenue for the remaining five months of the year in excess of that for the last five months of the previous year, although it quite probab'v 'would he in excess. He had deliberately placed the butter equalisation payment in the Appropriation Bill, and not unon the Estimates, because he felt it to be a fair charge aoainst the accumulated surpluses. Judging, however, from the reports given to him from the Treasury, even if the butter fund had been placed unon the Estimates, so far as one could judge, at the end of the vear the revenue ought to exceed the expenditure. It might be taken that at least £500.000 of the estimated expenditure would not actuallv be retruirod. Last year's exnpndifure had been more than £1.000,000 less than the estimate. Given normal times between now and March 31—and he hoped that they would be something more than normal times—the Treasury thought that the balance at the close of the year would be on the rieht side. Mr E. P. Lee expressed the hope that the Minister of Agriculture (Hon. W. Nosworthy). when the session closed, would turn hi" attention to the encouragement of the wheat industry. Dr. A. K. Newman (Wellington East) asked if the intention was to continue thf supplv of cheaper butter to the puhlic. and the payment of the equalisation fund to the producers.

The Hon. T. M. Wilford (Bntn objected that the Govenunert had not granted an inonirv into the Trenthnm bomh explosion. hv which a Roy Scout was ki'led. Th* boy's father, he snifT. would never "let up" in his demand for *>n inauirv. The Rt. Hon. Sir Joseph Ward (Leader of the Opposition) drew attention to his promise, made "t the heeinn'iyf of the session, that the Opposition would not seek to impede the Government in the business of the session. That promise had been kent. Mr Lee: It has been a good session! Sir Joseph Wnrd: Tt has been a food session with the help of the Opoosition! Tn a further brief discussion, the Prime Minister, the Hon. W. D. S. MacDonabl (ex-Minister of Agriculture) and the Hon. J. R. Hine (Minister of Internal Affairs) reviewed the history of tne butter fat tax. Tn reolv, the Hon. Sit- Jqmes Allen said that another <*loo.ooo had been subscribed to the Victory Loan since the original term of issue had expired. He did not think that anv pood purpose could be served bv a further inquiry into the Trentham cxnlosion, although he expressed svmpathy with the relative* of the Boi- Scout who had been killed. The Rill was rend a second time and nut throuah Committee, where there was inserted. h w GovernorGenernl's MesßaJ"*. the f!ls»M«« st">'ek out of the "\Vnshin«'-TTn" Rill. This provided for Ministers' ornate secretaries counting their War bonuses as salnrv for the purposes of e uperannua''on. Sir Joseph \Vn ,- d to flu* the other ni"ht, hut he had learned in the menntin'e that the clause was onb- to brine these tin to the same as other servants of the o™ v n. -» The Bill was read a third time and passed In a little over helf pi '*• — it rame back from the Legislative Council, and shortly nftcr 1t p.m. Mr Sneaker returned with 'tie Royal Assent given bv the GovernorGeneral, and the Anpropriation Act was finallv disposed of.