ESTIMATES DISCUSSED

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 264, 6 November 1937, Page 10

ESTIMATES DISCUSSED

GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS [ Per Press Association. J WELLINGTON, Nov. 5. The House met at 10.30 a.m. The Prime Minister gave notice to move that on and after Wednesday, Government business should have precedence on Wednesday during the remainder of the session. On the motion of the Prime Minister urgency was granted the passing of a number of items on the estimates. The House then proceeded with the consideration of tne estimates. Discussing the Prime Minister's Department vote of £25,505 Mr. S. G. omith complained of the broadcasts from the Prime Minister’s Department and Mr. W. J. Broadfoot asked that the Opposition should be given an opportunity of adding its say to the broadcasts of the Prime Minister's Department. Mr. Savage suggested that Mr. Eroadfoot should listen to the broadcast from the Prime Minister's Department. It would do him good. Replying to a question regarding the increased cable costs in the department he said that New Zealand was now on the map. It was a member of the League Council and extra ousiness is that connection had been responsible for the increase in cable costs.

Mr. Savage, replying to a further query, said that the limber supplied ior tne League of Nations building at Geneva was rimu. The Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Adam Hamilton, askou who was the officer responsible for the preparation of the news broadcasts from the Prime Minister's Department. The Prime Minister: "i am the officer responsible. I see everything before it is sent over for broadcasting.” The vote for the Prime Minister’s Department was passed, and the House proceeded to consider the Treasury Department vote or x 40,647, the Hon. A. Hamilton drawing attention to the fact that alhougn there had been a decrease in the staff of the Treasury much larger sums had been handled by that department. The Treasury Department vote was passed the next item to be considered oeing the Customs Department vote of £125,342. The Minister of Finance in answer to a question by Mr. Hamilton, said that tnere were no provision ior assisting migrants in tne vote. Referring to the amount of £3500 refund of duty on raspberry and black currant fruit pulp, the Minister of Finance explained that the refund had been made to jam factories on imported pulp, because they had been unable to secure the necessary fruit in the Dominion. Mr. K. J. Holyoake expressed concern at such a precedent in view of the fact that raspberry crops were being ploughed in in Nelson. Mr. H. S. S. Kyle said that the reason why raspberry crops were being ploughed in in Nelson was because the irrigation scheme in Canterbury had been responsible for a tremendous increase in raspberry growing. The Minister of Finance stated that the reason for the refund of the dutyon black currants and raspberries had been largely to assist people in Mr. Holyoake s own electorate, f-ii.e assured the House that we being taken to assist the small fruitgrower and enable him to secure a reasonable living. The Minister of Customs, asked to explain the extent of the censorship on imported literature, said that the Customs stopped delivery of printed matter which was obscene and the censorship was practically confined to that aspect. When literature incited the reader to violence or crime that was a matter for the police, but when schools of political thought were discussed, the Government felt that nobody in Parliament could be the judge of economics and politics, the people should be permitted to read. The Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes expressed concern at the unrestricted entry of literature which aimed at undermining the authority of constitutional Government. It was Jetting the enemy in, and no other country allowed it. The Minister should realise that this literature was not only read by university professors. Mr. Nash said that with regard to literature they had to follow the British practice of allowing complete freedom of thought and lea’fo the public to itself to judge whst was best.

At 12.50 Mr. Savage moved the closure and the Customs vote was passed. The Land and Income Tax vote of £161,870 was under discussion when the House adjourned at 1 p.m. Afternoon Session. Consideration of the estimates was continued when the House resumed at 2.30 p.m. The land and income tax vote of £161,870 was passed, as was the stamp duties department vote of £94,741 and the audit department vote of £42,876. When discussing the latter vote, Mr. S. G. Holland (Opp., Christchurch North) drew attention to the increased cost of the department, which he said had increased at the rate of £lO,OOO a year for two The Minister in charge of the audit department, in reply, stated that as the work of the audit department had increased, so had the staff increased, also the cost. The health estimates of £1,141,650 were passed and the next vote to be considered was that of £395,500 for the mental hospitals department. Mr. H. S. S. Kyle (Opp. Riccarton) suggested the setting up of a royal commission to inquire into the prevention of the incidence of diseases which affected the mental condition. The vote was passed and the House proceeded with consideration of the department of education estimate of £3,745,325. Hon. G. W. Forbes suggested that children being conveyed to and from schools in buses should be covered by insurance. Mr. S. G. Smith (Opp., New Plymouth) asked if intermediate schools were to be established would the course at those schools be for two years only. The suggestion that children travelling in school buses should be covered by insurance was supported by Mr. A. S. Richards (Government, Roskill). The Minister of Education, Hon. P. Fraser, in reply, said that arrangements had been made with insurance companies to accept school children

for third party risks. With reference intermediate schools, the present Government's policy was not to force either intermediate or consolidated schools on unwilling people. The education vote was passed and the House adjourned at 5.30 p.m. until 2.30 p.m., on Tuesday. During the day it passed nine classes of estimates totalling £5,768,456.