THE BUDGET.

Thames Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 20365, 21 July 1938, Page 5

THE BUDGET.

INTEREST IN HOUSE. Public Galleries Filled. NO INTERJECTIONS. INCREASE IN ESTIMATES. [By Telegraph. —Press Association], WELLINGTON, July 21. The galleries and the floor of the House were well filled when the House met last night for the presentation of the third and last Budget for the present Parliament by the Minister for Finance, Mr. W. Nash. After brief preliminary formalities had been observed, the House resolved itself into Committee of Supply, and Mr. Nash rose to commence the reading of the Budget at 7.32 p.m. The Minister, who spoke fluently, received an attentive hearing from all sections of the House, and was practically uninterrupted by interjections throughout. He was applauded on the conclusion of his reading of the Budget at 9.28 p.m. When the House resumed, the Prime Minister, Mr. M. J. Savage, intimated that it was proposed to take discussion on the report of the Pensions Department this afternoon, and that tha Budget debate would begin to-night, An increase of £338,552 in permanent and annual appropriations for tin! year 1930 is disclosed in the estimates submitted to the House last night. The total permanent appropriations :uo £15,005,350, and the total annual appropriations are £20,521,323, a gran-! total of £35,587,173. Debt services total £9,554,23(5, an increase of £lO3000 over last year. Exchange totals £1,800,000, a decrease of £27,078 on last year. The highways account is £3,181,000, an increase of £34(5,000; but this item of expenditure is met in the revenue account. One of the most interesting items in tho Estimates is the Defence Vote, which totals £2,000,000 for the three arms. This is an increase of £396,087, the Navy being increased by £4l-, 667 to £802,196; the Army by £174,272 to £703,904; and the Air by £IBO-, 248 to £493,900. An additional £730-, 000 is provided for the Public Works Fund for Air Force buildings. One of the biggest votes is that of the working railways, a total of £9,051,869, an increase of £1,095.069. The general election brings an increase of £99,256 in the Electoral Department Vote, the total for which is £105,769. The National Broadcasting Vote is increased by £87,000 to a total of £224,285, and commercial broadcasting by £22,700 to £145,863. A new vote of £42,111 is for the iron and steel industry. Administration expenses: education totals £3,989,900, an increase of £312,251; the Pensiona Vote totals £6,911,200, an increase of £444,500.