PARLIAMENT

Wairarapa Daily Times, 7 December 1937, Page 5

PARLIAMENT

OIL RESOURCES SUPPLEMENTARY ESTIMATES. tHfcS'-introduction of the Supplementof Departmental expenditure was thel main feature of yesterday’s proceedings in the House of Representatives. These provide for a total vote of £1,613,318. Of this amount £297,837 is represented by annual appropriations in the Ordinary Revenue Account of the Consolidated Fund. Additional votes chargeable against the . Public Works Fund total £871,945, and the balance of £443,536 is made up by r votes for separate accounts and accounts outside the Public Account. Discussion took place on the Petroleum Bill, for which urgency was taken by the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, in order that the House might be able to make reasonable progress with the measure before rising. The Bill, whici vests oil resources in the State, was explained by the Minister of Mines, Hon. P. C. Webb. He said the fact that no real large-scale effort was being madd to discover oil demonstrated that the present law did not meet the requirements of the age. The Minister was followed by Sir Apirana JTgata (Opposition, Eastern Maori), who questioned the right of the Crown to take the royalties on petroleum. He said the Bill meant that something that the Maoris possessed before the legislation was introduced was to be taken away from them. He could not see why the rights of Native land-owners should be subjected unnecessarily to the public interest, and suggested that the Maoris should divide any royalties' the Crown. The rights of property owners to royalties for petroleum were defended and challenged alternately by members of the Opposition and Government parties respectively. Shortly after the debate was resumed following the supper adjournment, Mr W. J. Broadfoot (Opposition, Waitomo) moved an amendment that all land-owners receive a proportion of the royalties for petroleum found on their properties. Immediately Mr Broadfoot resumed his seat at 10.45 p.m., the Minister of Lands, Hon. F. Langstone, moved the adjournment of the debate. The House then adjourned until to-day. BUS DRIVERS’ HOURS. The Minister of Railways, Hon. D. G. Sullivan, is to be asked if he will personally look into the position of the railway bus drivers operating in and about Wellington by Mr C. A. Wilkinson (Opposition, Egmont), according to notice of a question given by Mr Wilkinson in the House of Representatives, yesterday. The question relates especially to the following: First, it is stated jjjiat although the drivers only work 40 a week, they have to be available upto 70 hours and over. Secondly, it is stated that' drivers get one day off in eight, and that ordinary rates of pay only are allowed, whereas if employed by private persons they would receive at least double pay f° r Sunday work.

ADDITIONAL VOTES. Additional expenditure totalling £l,613,318 for the current financial year is provided for in the Supplementary Estimates, which were presented in the House of Representatives yesterday. The detailed increases are as follows: — Legislative Department 4,161 Prime Minister’s Department 548 Finance oo’^qo General Administration 82,48 J Law and Order 7,1/2 Defence s’os^ 5 ’ 05^ Maintenance 28,300 Development of primary and iff secondary industries 204,615 Social Services Credit 60,308 Public Works Fund 871,945 Land for Settlements 65,000 State Coal Mines 3,771 State Forests Account 1, 238 Working Railways Account 91,698 Post Office Account 219,629 Public Trustee’s Account 13,325 Government Insurance Account 790 Public Service Superannuation. 295 State Fire Insurance 27,385 Dairy . Industry Account 1)490 Broadcasting Account 18,915 With the additional expenditure shown in the Supplementary Estimates, which makes provision for the salary increases arising from the reclassification of the Civil Service, the total estimated expenditure under all headings for this financial year amounts to £62,898,618.