MR NASH ABROAD

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 65, 9 December 1937, Page 3

MR NASH ABROAD

-Press Association.)

Cost of Trip Exammed in House £1000 A MONTH

vBv Telegraph-

~ WELLINGTON, Dec. 7. When the House was considering tonight the broadcasting account oi £18,915, Mr. H. S. S. Kyle moved that the vote be redueed by £15,710, which was the amount of'the Supplementarj Estimate for the commercial broadcasting service, as a protest against thc duplication by the existence of that servioe. The Opposition forced the amendment to a vote, it being lost by 35 to 16, and the vote was passed. Colonel J. Hargest drew attention to the vote of £4577 for the expenses of the Minister of Finance 's recent trip abroad, under the heading of the unauthorised expenditure account. This, added to the £5000 in the main Estimates, made. the cost. of the trip £9577. Mr. S, G. Holland asked Hon. Walter Nash to make an explanation of_the expenditure on the trip. The country was entitled to the information. Mr. W. J. Polson said the trip worked out at a cost of about £1000 per month. It was colossal, and he lxad never heard of any expenditure like it. The Minister of Education (Hon. P. Fraser) : It works out at a much lower monthly basis than previous similar tours. Mr. Polfeon eontinued to urge that the Minister should make a full statement on the expenses of the trip. Mr. Fraser compared the cost of Mr. Nash's trip with that of other tours. It amounted to this — that, if we were to send delegationsj we mus pay for them. Mr. Nash gave a detailed statement of the expenses of the trip, stating that his personal grant had been £2500, but of that he had used only £2100. The statement of sums to be written off the departm^ntal accounts was agreed to at 12.35, and the House went into committee of ways and means at 12.40. The House resumed two minutes later and the Appropriation Bill was introduced at 12.45. It provides for £19,970,848 from the Consolidated1 • Fund, with £2,364,846 credits in aid; ! Public Works Fund, £10,076,902, with' I £1,795,410 credits in aidj separate | accounts, £13,172,436, with £1,455,692 j as credits; and accounts outside public i funds, £4,923,722, with £246,310 credits. i The total amount provided for in the i Bill was over £53,000,000. i The Bill went through all stages and j was passed at 11.55. j The House rose at 1 a.m.