INCREASED EXPENDITURE

Taranaki Daily News, 26 October 1935, Page 6

INCREASED EXPENDITURE

ADDITIONAL ESTIMATES EDUCATION AND DEFENCE VOTES. GRANT FOR FREE KINDERGARTENS. CONSTRUCTION OF AERODROMES. (By Telegraph—Special Reporter.) Wellington, Last Night. Additional Government expenditure for the current years outlined in the supplementary estimates presented to the House of Representatives to-night amounts to £648,487. Increased expenditure on education amounting to £139,652 and on defence to £44,455 accounts for the greater part of the estimates, apart, of course, from increased salary payments in every department. / Perhaps the most welcome grant in the education estimates is the sum of £3500 for free kindergartens, a grant promised recently by the Minister of Education, the Hon. S. G. Smith. Additional grants to education boards for teachers’ salaries amount to £73,740, for school and class libraries to £l2OO, and for general administrative purposes to £1133. Salary increases account for £25,344 in secondary schools, and grants to university colleges total £7873. Extra advances to training college students total £3240. Further Government expenditure on defence includes £7OOO for buildings and fortifications, £lO,OOO for field and heavy gun ammunition, £5OOO . for ordnance stores and £l9OO for building and maintenance. Aerodrome construction accounts for an additional £lO,OOO, and the purchase of aircraft and equipment for an additional £5OOO. Local bodies will welcome an item in the supplementary estimates for the Department of Internal Affairs involving grants amounting to £BOOO for certain local authorities on account of hardship caused through non-paypient of rates by the Crown as mortgagee in possession. An additional 20 constables in the Police Department are to cost the country £2250 on a six months’ basis. A sum of £20,000 is set down in the public works and services estimates for expenditure on aerodromes and emergency landing grounds for air services; Fruitgrowers in the Otago district according to an Agricultural Department will receive £16,001) in lieu of a guarantee on fruit shipped in the 1933 season. The Government’s scheme for milk distribution among school children takes shape under a Health Department grant for £3OOO, which is stated to be on account of £20,000. The same department has provided £5OO for the protection and improvement of hot pools at Hanmer Springs. Railway improvements for the relief of unemployment announced recently by the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, are provided for in the supplementary estimates. Grade easements in Taranaki and the Wellington-Johnson-ville electrification scheme account for most of the expenditure. An additional amount required to cover the cost of miscellaneous works under the working railways account is estimated to be £60,000. Extra grants for the development of tourist resorts relate wholly to the North Island. Chateau Tongariro is to benefit by £3500 for a road across Scoria Flat, and the reconstruction of the bath buildings and sanatorium at Rotorua is estimated to cost £lO,OOO on account.

The South Island, on the other hand, has a monopoly of irrigation expenditure. The Ashburton irrigation scheme is set down for £10,006 on account, in addition to assistance from the unemployment fund, and the Maniototo scheme is to have £lOOO on similar conditions.

Supplementary estimates for main highways amount to £50,000.