THE ESTIMATES

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23965, 4 June 1943, Page 6

THE ESTIMATES

More Than £3,000,000 Increase WAR PENSIONS HIGHER (P.A.) ' WELLINGTON, June 3. The estimates of national expenditure, which were presented -to the House of Representatives to-night, show ah increase of more than £3,000,000 compared with expenditure last financial year, Permanent appropriations amount to £19,605,836, compared with £18,252,278 last year. Votes are £21,554,169, compared with £19,954,153, and debt services £16,190,065, compared with £12,395,566. This year no provision is made for a special item, under special acts, for exchange, which is now being charged to debt services under the respective items, votes and accounts. This accounts for approximately £1,305,000 of the increase m debt services, this amount representing the exchange on interest payable on overseas debt. Expenditure under public debt repayments is £3,000,000, as against £2,565,354 last year. The increase is due to the increase in the public debt. Provision is again made for the transfer of £1,500,000 to the v ar expenses account. Votes Many of the votes are practically unchanged from last year. External Affairs Department: This is a new vote, which provides for expenditure on various legations or high commissioners’ offices. Last year for this purpose £91,078 was expended. This year £144,872 is to be voted. Treasury Department: Expenditure is expected to total £81,064, compared with £284,070. The higher figuure last year was due to the transfer of £200,000, to the general purposes relief deposit account. Internal Affairs Department: The vote shows an increaseof a fP™ x f' mately £15,000, of which £II,OOO is fob a campaign /or the prevention of hvdatids. ‘Department of Island Territories: This is a new account; but as it takes over the old External Affairs vote, that is used for purposes of comparison. The vote is £185,627, compared with £147,891 last year. ■ . The Labour Department has a vote of £328,016, compared with £474,983, the decrease being due to the item tor employment promotion being £ zzo, <au, compared with £374,890. General Election Expenditure on the General Election is reflected in the vote for the Electoral Department, which is £107,108, compared with £11,097 last year. _ The Police Department shows an increase of £70,000 in pay, of which £34,000 is lor allowance in lieu of overtime, which is a new salaries item. Department of Agriculture; The vote is £977,515, compared with £896,364. The increases include an additional £20,000 for the destruction of rabbits, and £3797 for poisons. Industries and Commerce, Tourist and Publicity Department: The vote is £681,758, compared with £886;232. The decrease of £204,000 is due mainly to the subsidy on wheat being £358,000, compared with £582,500 last year. There were advance payments of £230,000’ in respect of this year. Health Department: The vote is £1,800,268, compared with £1,982,995. Grants to hospital boards to provide accommodation for tuberculosis cases is £20,000, compared with £4809, and £II,OOO is provided for medical bursaries. This is a new item. Mental Hospitals Department: The vote is £510,000, compared with £474,435. Salaries and wages are up £15,000, overtime and meal allowances by approximately £ 10,000, and there is, an increase of £2OOO for bedding and clothing. Education Department: The vote is £4.783,293, compared with £4,670.839. Teachers’ salaries have increased from £2,070,641 to £2,180,612. The war and other pensions vote is £3,491,397, compared with £2,382,858, an increase of £1,108,000. Present war pensions are estimated to take £1,120,000, compared with £479,827. The 1914-18 war pensions and allowances are increased by £446,000, and medical treatment for former members of the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces is increased by £7OOO. Social Security * Department: The vote is £4,100,000, compared with £3,600,000. Maintenance of public works and services is increased to £500,000 from £178,909, the increase being accounted for by the fact that more credits in aid were received last year than was anticipated. Separate Accounts Separate accounts total £28,210,428, compared with £21,446,670. Public Works Account; Railway construction is £275,000, compared with £233,829. Housing construction, which is a new vote for nine months only, is £3,064,000. The vote for public buildings is £500,000, compared with £454,232. Provision for mental hospitals is the main item of the increase. For lighthouses and harbour works the vote is £25,000, compared with £6824. The vote for radio direction finding beacons and the electrification of lights is £IO,OOO, compared with £5224. Roads are set down at £200,000, compared with £127,961., Soil conservation and river control, a new vote, is £40.000. Lands, miscellaneous, is £30,000, compared with £17,595. The irrigation, water supply, and drainage vote is £230,000. compared with £81,996. Education buildings are put down at £225,000, compared with £204,713, and linen flax at £400,000, compared , with £521,569. The total for public works is £5.139,000 this year, compared with £1,648,619. Electricity supply; Development of water supply is £3,200,000, compared, with £2,015,281. Small farms development is £394,000, compared with £65,048. The main item in the vote is £205,000 xor the acquisition of land. Social Security Fund: Administrative expenses and emergency benefits are £631,400, compared with £636,949. Medical and hospital benefits total £4,332,000. compared with £3,721,179. The State coal mines vote is £1,061,324, compared with £845,713, the increase being due to the purchase of collieries. The working railways account vote is' £11,016,154, compared with £10,250,232. There is an increase of £IOO,OOO for the maintenance of rolling stock, and the depreciation account is £1.000,000, compared with £482,387. Accounts Outside the Public Account The Post and Telegraph Department vote is £4,726,844, compared with £4,388,043. Salaries amount to £2,066,915, compared with £1,988.041 because there arc 27 pay days this year instead of 26. The uniform and clothing vote is £23,000, compared with £14,207, due to the provision of uniforms for female employees. The dairy industry account vote is £27,836, compared with £59,773, the decrease being due to the subsidy on the change-over from butter to cheese being paid last year. There is little change in other industry accounts. The Internal Marketing vote is £103,973, compared with £55,859. The purchase of plant and machinery for dehydration is expected to cost £50,000. The broadcasting vote is £328,945. compared with £286,143, of which the national broadcasting allocation is £180,360, compared with £140.149, and the commercial broadcasting £148.585, compared with £139,994, An interesting item under national broadcasting is the provision of £20.000 for concerts for the fighting services.