Civil Expenditure

Grey River Argus, 4 June 1943, Page 5

Civil Expenditure

“WAR NOT A STRUGGLE BETWEEN ARMED MEN.” WELLINGTON, June 3

I-lon. W. Nash, in presenting the Financial Statement said: “The- large expenditure under the heading “Civil'' of £14,900,000 effectively emphasises the obvious fact which is often overlooked that modern war is not exclusively a struggle- between masses of armed men. The civilian war effort is second only to the efforts in the field, and the Government must, as no less than their duty, maintain the economic health of the country and direct and assist production both for the- armed forces and for the essential needs of the civilian population. So we find for last year, among the larger items of subdivision “Civil ’ the following:—

Subsidies to primary producers and for stabilisation purposes, £2,300,000; Reserve stocks to ensure- continuity of production, £700,000; Goods imported by the- Ministry of Supply for State Departments and essential commercial activities, £3,600,000; Work carried out for the Armed Services, etc., -the cost of which ha's not yet been allocated to the Services concerned, £1,900,000; Soldiers’ financial assistance, £300,000; Grant to Canteen Board equivalent to duty on tobacco, £250,000; War research, £400,000; Imperial Government food contracts, £1,100,000; Emergency Precautions Scheme and Emergency Fire Service, £400,000; National Patriotic Fund Board, prisoner of war parcels, £170,000: Meat canning, advances for extension of plants £170,000; Air raid shelters, £600,000; Munition workers’ hostels, £120,000; miscellaneous, £2,890,000.—Total £14,900,000.

Budget Well Received

HOUSE CROWDED. p.A. WELLINGTON, June 3. The largest attendance which has been present for some years tilled rhe naileries of the House to-night to hear Hon. W. Nash read the Labour Government’s Budget i'or 1943. Ine ladies’ galleries were particularly well filled, and there was ' a noticeable number of servicemen present. After the usual preliminaries had been completed, Mr. Nash proceeded immediately with the reading of the Budget, a task which occupied him until 9.5 p.m. The proposals contained in the Financial Statement appeared on the whole, to be well received by the House, and Mr. Nash was greeted with applause from both sides of the House when he resumed his eat. j Mr. Fraser immediately moved thei adjournment,, and, in doing so, intimated that the House would resume 1 at 10.30 a.m. to-morrow, when it would consider the External Affairs Bill and Island Territories Bill, and if time permitted, there would be a discussion on the report on deterior-i ated lands. It was proposed to com-| mence the financial debate at 7.301 p.m. on Tuesday. The House rose at 9.10 until 10.30 a.m. to-morrow.