TRAVEL COSTS

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVI, Issue 23014, 4 October 1944, Page 4

TRAVEL COSTS

Ministers And Their Secretaries

Increase Criticised

(N.Z.P.A.) WELLINGTON. Oct. 3. Speaking in the House to-night to | the vote of £585,707 for the Department : of Internal Affairs, Mr W. Sullivan I (National, Bay of Plenty) criticised j the expenditure for Ministerial and | secretaries’ travelling expenses which, | he said, had been overspent on last year’s estimates. He wondered if | Ministers had been going gay over the j last 12 months or whether ’ they had been making the most of it while they | had the opportunity. This wa._ a I matter on which Government mem- I bers when in opposition had not hesitated ta express opposition, and he thought the time had come for some economy. Mr Sutherland complimented the Hon. w. E. Parry on the businesslike way the Department was run. and on ! the wondertul work done in the direction of physical welfare. The Department should extend as far as possible its work for protection of bird hie, and for the improvement of trout fishing facilities. There was likely to be a return of many overseas anglers to the Dominion after the war. Mr D. C. Kidd (National. Waitaki) said the deer menace had become severe m the South Island. Something should be done to expedite the return of rifles to farmers who wished to j protect their crops against deer. Mr W. A. Bodkin (National, Central Otago) said that as soon as additional labour was available deer culling should be intensified. The expendhure was fully warranted as the Department had opened up and established a profitable market for deerskins. Mr Bodkin made pleas for more extensive vermin control on Stewart Island, which was one of the most beautiful parts of New Zealand. Bird life there was threatened by depredations of wild cats. He was pleased to learn that the Department already was active there and suggested that the same care was now necessary in the • Haast Valley, where cats abandoned ay Public Works employees had gone wild and were preying on native birds. Other members also congratulated the Minister on the management of his Department. Mr w. J. Polson (National, Stratford) said he was sorry to strike a discordant note but he would like the Minister to explain why the vote had been increased by £120,000 over last year. Mr Parry thanked members for their complimentary remarks, and said much of the credit was due to the officers of his Department. He intended to bring down a report on what had been done and what he proposed should be done regarding physical training. He intended to'ask the Prime Minister to make an afternoon available for the discussion of the report. The scheme he had in view would cost a lot of money, but they could not afford not to spend money on the physical welfare of the youth of the country. He wanted the opinion of members on the management of community centres and other matters. Replying to Mr Polson, he said salaries had increased by approximately £17,000. Emergencyfire service equipment was costing the Department £32,000. The cost of living bonus amounted to £61,003 and the Department also was charged with the cost of bonds given to officers in various departments in lieu of leave. Fire equipment valued at £32,000 had been purchased for protection against a war hazard. This equipment was to be distributed among the fire brigades of the Dominion, and it was hoped that it would enable the smaller brigades to fit themselves to combat fires or earthquake damage in their areas. Mr Parry said that deer destruction activities had been curtailed because most of the expert cullers were away overseas. It was intended to reorganise the deer culling squads when the men returned. He thought there would never be proper control of vermin and pests until we established a wild life department. He thought it would never be possible to protect native bird life, but one of the most serious menaces was cats, not only from abandoned Public Works camps but also those released in bush country by city dwellers who wished to rid themselves of surplus cats but shrank from destroying them. Mr Parry said that mileage charges, cost of petrol and other factors had all gone up contributing to the increased cost of travelling by Ministers and their secretaries. For instance, the mileage charge for one seven-seater car had risen from Bid to 1/-. Cabinet Ministers were certainly not travelling more than they ought. If they travelled as much as members of the House wished in the interests of various districts the cost would be as much again as it was. Mr W. J. Broadfoot (National, Waitomo) asked -who would be the next Minister . to go overseas, but the question was unanswered. The vote was passed.