NAVAL ESTIMATES.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18512, 8 March 1930, Page 17 (Supplement)

NAVAL ESTIMATES.

CONSIDERABLE REDUCTION REVEALED. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, March 6. The Navy Estimates published to-day show a considerable reduction. In a statement accompanying the estimates, Mr A. V. Alexander says that the substantial decrease in the total estimates is due mainly to the reduction which the Government have felt justified in making in the shipbuilding programmes of 1928 and 1929. As to future shipbuilding, the Government decided not to formulate any proposals until the results of the Naval Conference are known, and fully considered. No provision is included, therefore, in the estimates for commencing a : further new construction in 1930. As soon as the Government are in a position to inform Parliament of their intentions, a statement will be made on the subject, and, if necessary, a supplementary estimates will be presented. Mr Alexander points out that reductions only nave been rendered possible by operating on every branch of the service, with the object of curtailing expenditure. Of the causes operating in the cont.*£ry se se, he mentions the Singapore oasc and the main engineering contract. Although no new commitments are being entered into pending the result of the Naval Conference, it. has been found that it would not be economical fo retard work contracted for, and in accordance with the terms of the contract considerably larger payments will have to be made in 1930 than in the current year. The Naval Estimates total £51,739,000 showing a reduction of £4,126,000 on last year. The First Lord’s memorandum Says this is due to reductions the Government felt justified in making. Two 10,000 tenners, two submarines and one depot ship have been cancelled from the 1928 programme. Twelve vessels have been cancelled from the 1929 programme, comprising two 10,000 tonners, four destroyers, three submarines, two sloops and one net layer. The decision whether the three remaining submarines of the 1929 programme will be built was deferred pending the results of the Naval Conference. Moreover, the Government was not formulating proposals for future shipbuilding until after the naval proposals, and was reducing - the personnel to 97,050 officers' and men on April 1, 1930, and it was expected that a further reduction to 94,000 would be made on April 1, 1931.