PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE (REPORTS OF THE). (Mr. JONES, Chairman.)

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1921 Session I-II, I-13

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Session 11. 1921. NEW ZEALAND.

PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE (REPORTS OF THE). (Mr. JONES, Chairman.)

Presented to the House of Representatives, and ordered to be 'printed.

ORDERS OF REFERENCE. Extracts from the Journals of the House of Representatives. Wednesday, the 26th Day of October, 1921. Ordered, " That Standing Order No. 219 be suspended, and that a Committee be appointed, consisting of eleven members, to examine into and report upon such questions relating to the public accounts as it may think desirable or that may be referred to it by the House or the Government, and also into all matters relating to the finances of the Dominion which the • Government may refer to it; to have power to call for persons and papers; three to be a quorum: the Committee to consist of Mr. Craigie, Mr. A. Hamilton, Mr. Hudson, Mr. Isitt, Mr. Jones, Mr. Lysnar, Mr. McCallum, Mr. McCombs, Dr. A. K. Newman, the Hon. Mr. Downie Stewart, and the mover." —(Right Hon." Mr. Massey.) Tuesday, the Bth Day of November, 1921. Ordered, " That the order of reference referring the Local Bodies' Finance Bill to a special Committee be discharged, and the Bill be referred to the Public Accounts Committee."—(Hon. Mr. Downie Stewart.) Friday, the 18th Day of November, 1921. Ordered, " That the estimates of expenditure for the year ending the 31st March, 1922, be referred to the Public Accounts Committee for consideration, advice, and report. The Committee to report within fourteen days."—(Right Hon. Mr. Massey.) Wednesday, the 7th Day of December, 1921. Ordered, " That the Public Accounts Committee be granted an extension of seven days in which to bring up its report on the estimates of expenditure for the year ending 31st March, 1922." —(Mr. Jones.) Thursday, the 9th Day of February, 1922. Ordered, "That the Finance Bill be referred to the Public Accounts Committee." —(Right Hon. Mr. Massey.)

REPORTS. Estimates of Expenditure for the Year ending 31st March, 1922. I am directed to report that the Public Accounts Committee, to which was referred the estimates of expenditure for the year ending 31st March, 1922, has gone through the same, and recommends that the reductions be made as shown on the schedule attached hereto. 9th December, 1921. Schedule. ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31st MARCH, 1922.—REDUCTIONS Permanent Charges.—Special Acts. PAGE Miner's Phthisis Act, 1915, and Finance- Act, 1920 — ••■ • • £ £ 26 Pensions and allowances .. .. ... .. .. .. .. 2,500 Pensions Act, 1913, and Finance Act, 1920 — 28 Old-age pensions (off net amount) .. .. .. .. .. .. 30,744 33,244

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page Vote Stamp Duties Department. £ £ 48 New postage and duty dies .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 500 52 Special allowances to Recorders .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 150 650 Vote Post and Telegraph Working-expenses. 71 Salaries (total of) .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 16,000 73 Rural telephones .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 800 74 Temporary officers—Postmen, messengers, and General Division .. .. .. .. 18,000 Overtime and meal allowances .. .. ... .. .. .. ■■ 10,000 44,800 Vote ■ —- Public Buildings. 80 Contribution to Drainage. Board for drainage, public buildings, Christchurch .. .. 150 Contribution to Drainage Board for drainage, public buildings, Dunedin .. .. .. 150 300 Vote Maintenance and Improvement oe Roads. 82 Expenses incidental to the maintenance and improvement of roads .. .. .. .. 8, 000 Vote Department of Industries and Commerce. 92 Board of Trade .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 200 94 Telephone services .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 25 Travelling allowances and expenses .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 100 96 Credits increased by .. .. .. .. .. .. .. •• 17,500 17,825 Vote Cook Islands. 118 Erection of fruit-packing sheds, Rarotonga .. .. .. .. .. .. 225 Installation of wireless-telegraph system at Rarotonga and Niue .. .. .. .. 425 650 Vote Pensions. 124 Pensions to epidemic widows and widowers and their dependants .. .. .. .. 1,170 Vote Mines. 132 Advances to oil-boring companies .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,000 Assistance towards ambulance classes.. .. .. .. .. .. .. 50 Cost of collecting goldfields revenue .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 25 134 Instruments and apparatus and chemical supplies .. .. .. .. .. 20 1,095 Vote Department of Internal Affairs. 138 Assessment Courts under the Rating Act, 1908.. .. .. .. .. .. 5 Astronomical stations, expenses in connection with .. .. . . .. .. 10 BirdJife, expenses in connection with preservation of .. .. .. .. 20 Protection of tuatara lizards.. .. .. .. ' .. .. .. .. 10 140 Temporary assistance .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 274 144 Fire drills, attendance at .. .. .. . . .. •. .. 10 148 Census, 1921, cost of taking .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. 1,000 152 Museum publications, printing of .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 100 Specimen and pictures, purchase and preparation of .. .. .. .. 100 158 Absentee land-tax due by officer of High Commissioner's staff .. .. .. .. 1 Allowance to officer of Tourist Department for extra duties as Permit and Passport Officer .. 10 Cost of acquiring land for roads under section 115 of the Public Works Act, 1908 .. .. 10 Expenses of Public Service Stores Tenders Board .. .. .. .. .. 25 160 Returned Soldiers' Association : Railway fares of delegates to annual conference .. .. 50 1,625 Vote Printing and Stationery. 170 Machinery .. .... .. .. .. .. .. .. 500 Monotype metal .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 100 Type and printing-material .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ' .. 100 '■"* 700 Vote Department of Health. 184 Journal of Health .. .. .. .. .. .... .. .. 350 188 Medical and nursing services in country districts .. .. .. .. .. 400 Medical research work .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 250 190 Refuge and charitable institutions .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2,500 St. John Ambulance Association .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 250 Salvation Army Prison Brigade work .. ..' .. .. .. .. .. 450 4,200 Vote New Zealand Military Forces and Cadets. 220 Total to be reduced by .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 100,000 Vote No. . —Aviation. 222 Purchase of aircraft machines and spare parts .. .. .. .. .. .. 5,000 Wireless sets, cameras, and camera-guns .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,000 Meteorological instruments .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,000 7,000 Vote Marine. 238 Salaries —Professional Division, Class C .. .. .. .. .. .. 250 246 Expenses connected with training-ship " Amokura" .. .. .. .. .. 1,750 Working-expenses and repairs : s.s. " Hinemoa " .. .. .. .. .. 3,750 250 Credits, increased by .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 500 6,250

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Vote Department of Lands and Survey. £ £ 260 Credits, increased by .. .. .. .. .. .. .. •• •• 10,000 Vote Agriculture. 288 Agricultural Instruction— Agricultural instruction generally .. .. .. .. .. • • 750 Departmental exhibits at agricultural and pastoral association shows .. .. .. 900 Utilization of pumice lands .. .. .. .. . ■ • • • • 100 Special phytopathological investigations .. .. .. .. • • • • 25 Allowances to officers temporarily performing special or higher duties .. .. .. 30 296 Subsidies to cost of erection of cattle-dips .. .. .. .. • • • • 500 Milton Poultry-farm .. .. .. .. .. .. . • • • 100 Poultry Industry, Grants to — Cost of printing report of New Zealand Poultry Conference .. .. .. .. 10 New Zealand Poultry Association's egg-laying competitions, Papanui and Southland .. 127 300 Fostering the bee industry .. .. .. . ■ .. • • • • • • 50 .304 Purchase of dairy requisites and produce for experiments .. .. . • • • 250 Vote Education. 316 Education Boards : General .. .. .. .. .. •• •• 2,250 Inspection : Extra clerical assistance, typing, &c. .. .. .. • • • • 115 Organizing-teachers .. .. .. .. ■ • • • • • ■ ■ 1, "00 Teachers' libraries .. .. .. .. . ■ • • ■ • • • • • 260 318 District High Schools : Salaries .. .. .. •• •• •• ..1,500 320 Training CollegesAllowances to students, and fees .. .. .. •■ •• •• •• 4,000 Salaries of staffs of training colleges .. .. . • • • • • • • 200 322 Rebuilding and furnishing schools destroyed by fire .. .. .- .. •■ 3,000 324 Courses of instruction for teachers .. .. .- .. •• •• •• 150 Travelling allowances and expenses .. .. ■. • • • ■ • • • • 300 328 Schools for feeble-minded : Salaries .. .. .. •• •• •• •• 1,250 332 Child welfare: Salaries .. .. .. .. .. •• 1, 400 336 Conferences of education authorities . . .. .. ■ ■ • • • • • • '50 338 Subsidies to public libraries. &c. .. .. .. .- •• •• •• 3,000 ' 19,765 £260,116 War Expenses Account. The total estimate of expenditure for the above account is £1,830,888, but against this amount 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,

Finance Bill. I am directed to report that the Public Accounts Committee, to which was referred the Finance Bill, has duly considered the same, and recommends that it be allowed to proceed subject to the addition of new clauses as shown on a copy of the Bill attached. 10th February, 1922.

Supplementary Estimates. I have the honour to report that the Public Accounts Committee, to which Cabinet referred the supplementary estimates, has duly considered the same, and is of opinion that they should be allowed to proceed as shown in a copy attached. 10th February, 1922.

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