THE AUSTRALIAN BUDGET.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 109, 28 October 1911, Page 5

THE AUSTRALIAN BUDGET.

FURTHER DETAILS. A BRIGHT OUTLOOK. By Cable —Press Association —Copyright. Melbourne, October 27. Amongst the chief items of expenditure last year were:—Construction of fleets, £1,075,000; invalid and old-age pensions, £317,818; sugar bounty, £228,478; collection of census, £96,325. A vote of £700,000 was allotted this year and a similar amount next year to bring the telegraph and telephones into an efficient state, while a special additional vote of £OOO,OOO will be paid to a trust fund and used within the next two or three years. The sum of £IOO,000 is allotted to establishing the Federal capital. The treasurer proposes to use £1,112,070 of the surplus for fleet construction, the total vote under this head being £1,515,000. The postal revenue last year was £3,947,048, and the expenditure £3,561,928. The postal expenditure for the current year is estimated to exceed the revenue by £474,090.

The sum of £22,500 is appropriated for the initial expenditure on the Transcontinental Railway.

The amount repayable to the States for the current vear is £5,800,250. Proposed expenditure on new works includes: Military College £40,000, naval barracks and submarine depot £53,000, small arms factory £19,000, four batteries field artillery £45,000, rifles (senior cadets) £65,000, wireless stations £IO,BOO.

Mr. Fisher announced that a new Department of the Prime Minister would be created.

Referring to the Vancouver mail service contract he said it had not been renewed, but provision had been made for paying a poundage rate on mail matter. The loss on the Pacific cable last year was £45,210, of which £OO7O was payable by the Commonwealth. Dealing with the fleet he said that by .June 30 next £3,000,000 out of £4,000,000 would have to be provided. When all the ships had been placed in commission he estimated that the annual upkeep would cost about £750,000. The Imperial Government offered to contribute £250.000 of this. The Government had, however, decided that the Commonwealth should bear the full expense. The Imperial Government was therefore relieved of furnishing the subsidy. Provision was again made on the estimates for linking Australia and Papua by wireless telegraphy, and a sum for developing rubber plantations there. He mentioned that the report from valuers showed that (he land tax had not caused any decrease cf land values. In many cases there had been an advance since the tax was imposed.

A Bill would shortly be introduced to authorise the issue of Commonwealth stock. ITe favored (lie consolidation of Rtate debts, but regretted that inquiries had shown that the time was not opportune to force this question. Jle hoped before many years to have a speedier transport service frond Australia to all parts of the world. The .speed of the present mail service was too slow, and the time taken in the voyage to England should be reduced by at least a week. ITr. Ilea kin congratulated Mr. Fisher on his speech, and said the outlookwas exceedingly encouraging.