THE ESTIMATES

Grey River Argus, 4 June 1943, Page 4

THE ESTIMATES

£3,000,000 MORE

Than for Last Year

P.A. WELLINGTON, June 3. The estimates of national expenaiture which were presented to the House of Representatives to-nignt show a decrease of over three million pounds over the expenditure last linuiicial year. Permanent appropriations amount to £19,665,836, compared with £18,252,278 last year. The votes are, £21,554,169, as compared with £19,954,153 last year. Debt services total £16,190065 compared with £12,395,566 last year. This year no provision is made tor the special item, under special Acts, for exchange, which is now being charged to the debt services’ respective items, votes and accounts. This accounts for approximately; £1,305,000 of an increase in the debt services. This amount represents the exchange on the interest payable on tne overseas debt.

The expenditure under public debt repayments is thi-ee million pounds as against £2,565,354 last year. The increase is due to the increase in the public debt. Provision is again made for tne transfer of one and a half million pounds to the War Expenses Account. Votes: Many of the votes are practically unchanged from last year. External Affairs Department: Inis is a new vote, which provides for tne expenditure of 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: The expenditure is expected to total £81,064, compared with £284,070 last year. me higher figure last year was due to the transfer of £200,000 to the General Purposes Relief Deposit Account. The Internal Affairs Department vote shows an increase of approximately £l5 000, of which £ll,OOO is tor a campaign for the prevention of Jhydatids.

Department of Island Territories: This *is a new account, but it takes over the old External Affairs vote, that is used for the purposes of comparison. The vote is £180,627 compared with £147,891 last year. The Labour Department has a vote of £328,016, compared with £474,983, last year. The decrease is due to the item for employment promotion being £220,750, as compared with £374,890. 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 for allowances in lieu of overtime which is a new salaries item.

The Agriculture Department vote is £977,515, compared with £896,364. The increase includes an additional £20,000 for the destruction of rabbits, and £3,797 for poisons. The Industries and Commerce, Tourist and Publicity Department vote is £681,758, compared with £886,232. The decrease of £204,000 is due mainly to the subsidy on wheat now being £358,000 compared with £582,500, last year. There were advance payments of £230.000-in respect of this year. The Health Department vote' is £l.800,268, compared with £1,982.990. fiiie grants to hospital boards to provide accommodation for T.B. cases total £20,000, compared with £4,809. Eleven thousand pounds is provided for medical bursaries. This is a new item. The Mental Hospitals Department vote is £510,000 compared with £474,435. Salaries and dages are up by £15,000, emd overtime and meal allowances by approximately £lO,OOO and there is an increase of £2OOO lor bedding and clothing. The Education Department \-ote is £4,783,293, compared with £4,670.839 last year. The teachers’ salaries have increased from £2.070,641 to £2,180612.

The War and other Pensions vote is £3,491,397, a's compared with £2,382,858. There is an increase of £1,108,000. Present war pensions are estimated to take £1,120,000 compared with £479,827 last year. The 1914-18 war pensions and allowances are increased by £446,000 and medical treatment for ex members of iNew Zealand Expeditionary forces is increased £7,000. The Social Security Department vote is £4,100,000, compared with 13.600 000 last year. 1 The maintenance of public works and services is increased tp' £500,000 from £178,909, the increase being accounted for bj r the fact that more credits-in-aid were received last year than was anticipated. Separate Accounts: The Separate Accounts total £28,210,428, compared with £21,446,670 last year. Public Works Account: The railway construction vote is £275,000 compared with £233,829. Housing construction, which is a new vote' for nine months only, is £3,064,000. The public buildings vote is £500,000 compared with £454.232. Provision for mental hospitals is the main item of the increase. The lighthouses and harbour works vote is £25,000 compared with £6,824. For radio direction finding beacons and electrification of lights there is a vote of £lO,OOO. compared with £5.224

last year. For roads, the vote is £200,000 compared with £127,961. Soil conservation and rivers control is a new vote of £40,000 and the lands and miscellaneous vote is ±30,000. compared with £17,595. The irrigation, water supply; and drainage vote is £230,000 compared with £Bl,996. For education buildings there is £255,000 compared with £204,713 and for linen flax £400,000 compared with £521,569 last year. The public works are £5,139,000 this year, compared with £1,648.619. Electricity supply votes:’ Development of water supply £3,200,000 compared with £2,015.281. For small, farms development the vote is £394,000 compared with £65,048. The main

item in the vote is £205,000 for* the acquisition of land. Social Security Fund: Administrative expenses and emergency benefits £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 ±l,061,324 compared with £845,713 tne increase being due to the purchase of collieries. The Working Railways Account vote is £11,016,154 compared with £lO,250,232. There is an increase of £lOO,OOO for maintenance. The rolling stock and depreciation account is £1,000,000, compared with £482,387. Accounts outside of the Public Account: The Post and Telegraph Department vote is £4,726,844, compared with £43,880,043. Salaries amount to £2,066,915, compared with £1 988,041, because there' are twenty-seven pay dayis this year, instead of 26. The uniform and clothing vote is £23,000 compared with £14,207, due to tne provision of uniforms for female employees. The Dairy Industry Account vote is

£27,836 compared with. £59,773, the decrease being due to a subsidy on the change-over from butter to cheese being paid last year. There is little change in the othex- industry accounts.

The Internal Marketing vote is £103,973. compared with £55,859. Purchase of plant and machinery for dehydration is expected to cost £59,000. The Broadcasting vote is £328,945, compared with £286 143, of which the National Broadcasting allocation is £180,360, compared with £146,149; and

the Commercial Broadcasting vote £148,585 compared with £139,994. An interesting item under National

Broadcasting is the provision of £2O,-

000 for concerts for the lighting services.