EXPENSES REDUCED.

Wairarapa Age, 10 December 1921, Page 5

EXPENSES REDUCED.

THE FIRST INSTALMENT. SOME BIG “CUTS.” (“The Age” Special.) Parliament Buildings, Dec. 9.—Today a report was received from the Public Accounts Committee showing that it had considered the estimates for the current year and had made reductions totalling £260,116. These estimates, however, arc for a year of which only three months remain, and, as the Prime Minister stated, do not show what is proposed. A sum of £2500 has been deleted from the vots for pensions and allowances under the Miners’ Phthisis and Finance Act, also £30,744 off the net amount (£750,000) for old-age and other pensions. Mr Massey explained, in reply to a prompt protest against any reduction in pensions, that the whole sum represents reduced administrative vote — pensions would not be reduced. What had been done was to request each head of a Department to state what amount was required for the financial year. The old system of compiling estimates would have to be changed as it was faulty. Mr Wilford: Have salaries been touched? Mr McCallum, a member of the committee, declared that not one salary had been touched. Mr Massey explained that the proposals for reduction of salaries would come in a Bill in course of preparation. 44 1 am proposing,’ ’ he said, 44 t0 reduce the larger salaries down to a certain point by another piece of legislation.” He added that two Bills might be required, as thousands ot public servants had their salaries fixed by statute. Parliament, in every case, would get an opportunity of considering every reduction.

The Post and Telegraph votes for working expenses show the following reductions: — Salaries (total of) £16,000, rural telephones £BOO, temporary officers (postmen, messengers, and the general division) £lB,OOO, overtime and meal allowances £lO,OOO. Votes of £68,000 for the maintenance and improvement of roads are reduced by £BOOO. The Board of Trade shows a reduction of £17,825, of which £17,000 is caused by making extra allowance for credits to that extent. The Health Department’s votes curtailed are as follow:— 4 4 Journal of Health” £350 (original vote £750), medical and nursing services in country districts £4OO (£750), medical research worfj €250 (£3003), St. John Aumblance Association £250 (£400), Salvation Army Prison Brigade work £450 (£900). The New Zealand military forces and cadets’ vote is reduced by £160,000. Aviation votes deleted are: Purchase of machines and spare parts £5OOO, wireless sets and cameras £lOOO, meteorological instruments £lOOO. The Department of Agriculture ehows a'reduction of £2842, the principal items being: Subsidies for the erection of cattle dips £5OO (original vote £4500), Miltdn poultry farm £lOO (£1700). Reductions in the education vote, totalling £19,765, include £2250 off Education Boards’ general grants, £l6OO organising teacher, £l5OO district high school salaries, £4OOO off allowances to students and fees at training colleges, £2OO off training college staffs, £1250 off salaries in schools for the feeble-minded, £l4OO off salaries of child welfare staff, while £3OOO is taken off subsidies to public libraries, which leaves only £5O on the estimates for that purpose. The war expenses account is not dealt with, but it is explained that against the total expenditure of £l, 830,888 there may be set a sum of £507,000 recovered from the German Government as New Zealand’s share of the cost of the army of occupation.