THE ESTIMATES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1247, 2 October 1911, Page 4

THE ESTIMATES.

■ VOTING THE MONEY.: ELECTORAL. MATTERS. While the Estimates (Justice Department) vera before the Ho-ueo in Committee of Supply, Mr. LAURENSON urged that .the time, had como when the pay of the police fbree- should i be somewhat increased. Ml.. BUCHANAN complained ; ■ of t,he saraitary defects of tho, police .quarters •at Martinborough. ' : Air. HERDMAN advocated.tho.- setting up of an appeal tribunal for ; the police ■force. There was no among the' police in Wellington', at present, but there was a general desire oniong the polico throughout the ■ Dominion for stick opportunities, of.' appeal against, dismissals, etc, as were' enjoyed by the officers of some other..'Departments. Mt. FIELD .supported the request for increased pas- for the police. ' The Hon. J.' A. MILLAR-said that a general increase in the pay of'the poiice l'orco would cost a" considerable amount of money. Inquiries were being made, and he hoped to make an announcement later. Already had been spent in improving station accommodation. The appointment of sergeants and detectivesergeants meant increases for the officers appointed, and'it was intended-.to make further appointments -of .'the" same classes as required..; The dondition of tho polico quarters at Martinborough; would be inquired into. The new police regulations weTo being revised, and would bo gazetted when ready. Tho Government did not propose to set up an Appeal Board for the police force. Mr. WRIGHT spoke of the necessity of pntting down sly grog-selling., Thcro was as much sly grog-selling in Wellington as anywhere.' It. was difficult to catch the sly grog-sellers, and,.,in somo instances they cleared out before being summoned. He thought the polico should have power to detain them, and make them face the music.. " ._ I. Mr. nERDMAN asked-that tho polico regulations should, if possible,. be issued before tho end. of the session. The matter was of importance to the police officers. , The Hon. J. A. MILLAR said he would endeavour to hurry up the regulations. The- Justice Department, total vote JJ37C.830, was passed unaltered.

Mines Department. Class VIII, Mines Department, total voto .£27,138. Mr. J. DUNCAN asked if the Minister would send sonic members of the Geolosioal Survey Staff to Marlborough. He rejretted that the vote for the Geological Surrey Branch was reduced from X 3775 to JUUS. Mr. Okey ndvecated greater activity on the jart «'f the Geological Survey Branch in regard to oilfields. The Hon. E. M'Kenzie said the extension of the work of tho Geological Survey was a question of finance. Th* Mines rote was passed unaltered. Class IX (Internal Affairs), .6325,118 was commenced at 0.40 a.m. Jlr. Malcolm moved to reduce the item "Census, 1911, Jf!27,31)0," aa an indication that th® census should bo taken onco in ten years instead of once in five years. Ths Police. Enrolment of Electors. Class IX, Internal Affairs, total vote .6191,550. was next taken. Mr HEFDMAN moved to reduce tho item', "Clerk in Charge (Electoral) by .£5, as an indication that the prcssnt method of compiling tho electoral rolls is entirely unsatisfactorj."

Tho Hon. D. BUDDO said everything was vory forward, and ho saw no reason to doubt that tho rolls could bo ready as soon as required. Members niignt rC5 f assured that everything possible would bo done to get over tlic_ difficulty that had cropped up in connection with tlio purging of the rolls. , Tho motion was lost on tho voices. Complaint -was made by Mr. Malcolm and Mr. Jennings of tho dill prone© between tho electoral census methods in the towns and in the country districts. Mr. BUDDO said thero was no liouso-to-house canvass in remote districts, but tho work was dono through tho postmasters, and appeared to have been done very satisfactorily. Ho also said, in roply to Mr. Lane, that the cost of tho electoral census was a little ovcu- .£9OOO. Ho explained that the overpurging of the rolls had not arisen from the census, but from the sending out of notices to electors in accordance with tho law pas?«d last year. It was fonnd that some of the notices did not come back from the electors. Mr. LANG said the money spent on the electoral census was .£9OOO thrown away. ' Thero was some discussion regarding the printing of tho rolls. Mr. ft A. WEIGHT (Wellington South) said that arrangements had been mado between the Government and the Master Printers' Association that the rolls, which aro to be printed locally, should bo dono for a uniform charge of 12s. Gd. a pago. He understood that the association had decided to pool tho payments for tho work and distribute the profits among all the members of tho trade. Mr. G. J. ANDERSON (Matanra), who reminded members of his connection with tho printing trade, said that Mr. Wright's statement was correct. Mr. BUDDO said that in tho past the printing of the rolls 'had been done at prices which varied from cut rates to tho most extraordinary charges. Tho only thing that had been settled.regarding tho printing was that tho work was to bo done for a fair prioe, 'agreed upon by the Government and the printers, who wero satisfied that the rate would bo remunerative. Mr. WEIGHT mc—l to reduce the item, "Preparation ai. minting of rolls, including cost of .compiling electoral oensus, ,£23,000, by JJI, as an £idication that the electoral census should •be discontinued." He .said it- liad done incalcul-able-harm. The motion was lost on the voices. Hotels and the Boundaries. Mr. A. S. MALCOLM (Clutha) remarked that portions of licsmsed areas which were moved into _ No-License districts by the Representation Commissions were afterwards transferred into licensed districts. Ho asked whether any representations regarding tho matter had beon mado by the Government to the commissions.

Hon. D. BTJDDO: I give that an emphatic denial. The commissioners are .statutory officers, and are not subject to any recommendation of tho Government. Mr. MALCOLM assured the Minister that he did not suggest anything improper.' Tho commissions invited comment and representations, and it was as open to the Government as to private individuals to make suggestions. "What 1 ask," ho added, "is whether the Government—it would have' been quite lawful foT it to do so—nuide any representations to the commissions?" Tho .Minister: Th« answer is "No." The tota,l vote of the Electoral branch, £66,753, was passed unaltered. Tho High Commissioner. Mr. MASSEY moved to reduce' tho veto for the Hijh Commissioner's Office, .£6125, by. J25, as an indication that an annual-report by the High Commissioner should be laid on tho table of tho House. This was > lost by 1G to 24. Mr. MASSEY then (3.25 a.m.) drew tho attention of tho Acting-Premier to _ tho olock. and pointed out that tho 'division which had just been taken, showed that only' half tho members were in', the House. Ho ' suggested that progress should be reported. Tho Internaf Affairs Class, if proceeded with, might occupy the House until midday. In formor years a whole evening had been devoted to it. Sir J. CARROLL said ho wo aid bo satisfied if .tho House got as far-as the end of the. Printing and Stationery Subdivision.

The Dominion .Museum. : Mr. ANDERSON (Mataura) urged that a suitable building for the Dominion Museum.should be erected as soon as possible. ~ ' i ; Mr. G. M. THOMSON (Dunedin North) endorsed these representations, which, lie said, would have the support of all educated people in Nsw Zealand in view of tho valuable and irreplacablo national collection' of exhibits at the museum. Mr.' BUD.DO said that ho supposed, if the question had come up earlier, practically every, member would have made speeches like those they had just heard. There was nothing wrong with tho building except that it was too small. The decay, was very slight, but there was far from room enough to display the exhibits. One reason why a new building was not put in htirnl was that several largo buildings for the Government were required in Wellington at present. There was the new post office, and a new railway station would be required. Tho erection of new departmental buildings could not long bo delaved, and there would also bo the now Parliament Buildings. The new museum '.should be fireproof, though it would cost 50 per cent. more. The work should be undertaken in the early future. The vote for tho museum, J62566, was passed unaltered. "Advertising Office, £1471," "Dominion laboratory, .£1250," "Bacteriological Laboratory, ,£9:!G," "Printing and Stationery,' w£31,561," wero passed almost discussion. Progress was reported, and the House Tose at i a.m.