DEPARTMENTAL VOTES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 36, 5 November 1937, Page 5

DEPARTMENTAL VOTES

— Press Association.)

Estimates Debated in tbe House " N.Z. ON THE MAP "

(By l'elesraph-

WELLINGTON, This Day. On the motion of the Prime Ministfer argency was granted the passing of a number of items on the Estimates in the House of Eegresentatives to-day. The House then proceeded with the eonsideration of the Estimates. In discussing the' Prime Minister 's Department vote of £25,505, Mr S. G. Smith (Nat., New Plymouth) compiained of the broadcasts fjom the Prime Minister 's Department, and Mr W. J. Bioadfoot (Nat., Waitomo) asked that the Opposition shqsld be gxven the opportunity of adding its say to the broadcasts of- the Frime Minister 's Uepartment. . "• * Mr Savage suggeeted that Mr Broadfoot should listen-in to tbe broadeast Crom the Prime Minister 's Department. £t, would do him good. Replying to a question Tegarding the jtncreased cabled costs of the department, he said that New Zealand was now on the map. It was a mqmber of the . League Council, and thq extra business in. that connection had been reeponsible for. the increase in cable costs. ' - t Mr Savagfe, replying to a, fdtther query said that the timber supplied for (he League of Nations building at Geneva was rimu. Tbe Leader of the Oppqsitiqn, tho H011. Adam Hamilton, asked who was the officer responsible for the preparation of the news broadcasts from the Prime Minister 's Department. Ihe Prime Minister: I am tho officer responsible. I see everything before it tgt Sent over for broadcasting. Tbe vote for the Prime Minister 's Department was passed and the House proeeeded to consider the Treasury Department vote of £40,647. Mr Hamilton drew attentioa to the fact that, although there had been a decrease in the staff of the Treastfrv, /nuch larger sums had been handled. by that department, . Customs Refund. ; The Treasury Department vote also was passed. The next item to be considered was the Customs Department vote Of £125,342. The Minister of Finance, in answer to a question by Mr Hamiltoh, said there was no provision for assisting migrants in the vote. Eeferriug to an amount of £3500, refund of duty on raspberry and black currant fruit pq'P, tho Minister of ■ Finance explained that a refund had been made tQ jam factories on imported pulp because they had been unable to eeeure the necegsary fruit in the Dominion. Mr K. J, Holyoake (Nat., Motueka) expressfed concern at such a prece.dent in view of the fact that raspberry crops were being ploiighed-in in Nelson, Mr H, !d. S. Kyle (Nat*., Riccarton), said that the reason why the raspbefry crops were being ploughed in in Nelson was that tho irrigation scheme in Canterbury had been responsible for a tremendous increase in raspberry-grow-ing. The Minister of Finance stated that the reason for the refund of duty 011 black currants and raspberries had been largely to assist people in Mr Holyoake 's own electorate. He assured the House that steps "Were being talcen to assist the small fruitgrower and enable tiim to secure a reasohable living. Closure Applied The Minister of Customs, asked to explain the exteut of the censorship ou imported literature, said that the Cusi ms Department had stopped the delivery of printed matter which was. obseene and that the censorhip was practically cpnfined to that aspect. When literature incited a reader to violence or crime, that was a matter for the pOlice; but when' schools of political thought were discussed the Government felt that nobody in Parliament could be a judge of the economips and politics people should be permitted to read. The Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes expressed , concern at the unrestrieted entry of litertature which aimed at undermining the authority of constitutional government. It was letting the enemy in, and no other country allowed it. The Minister should realise that this literature was not read only by univfersity professors. Mr Nash said that with regard to literature they had to f ollow the British practice of allowing complete freedom of thought aud leave the public itself to judge what was best. At 1-2.50 Mr Savage cnoved the closure, and the Customs vote was passed, The Land and Income-Tax vote of £161,870 was under discussion when the House adjourned at 1 p.m.