N.Z. NAVY

Hokitika Guardian, 12 September 1929, Page 3

N.Z. NAVY

FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS WITH ADMIRAL!V.

STATEMENT BY MINISTER.

WELLINGTON, Sept. ,10

Further information concern jpg tjje financial arrangements to be. made by like British Government for the repaying of the cruisers Dunedin and Dipt . mijde was given to • the House - of Representatives by the 'Minister of Defence (the Hon Mr Wilford) to-night, when defending the increase in t||o Defence Estimates, 1 ‘ \ •

hue Minister said the'D.iomede woul(| leave New Zealand for England M repairs costing £6O,ofKb The would go home about twelve months later for repairs involving a similar expenditure and while the vessels, absent from New Zealand waters the. Admiralty would make an allowance ijflj, that the Dominion would not hqve' io pay the £200,000 for the Dunedip aEuji £170,000 for the Diomede, plus tjjq, cost of repairs, in consideration fgr New Zealand’s putting the Calliope Dock and barracks at Devonpoyt in order in accordance w.iili the undertaking of the 1926 Imperial Confepf ence, , - , . - r -- - --

The Leader of .the Labqur.Pqrty (NJr H. E l . Holland): Will there be a reductio.n in the estimates next yeaf?;? > The Minister : I don’t know-that wp will receive o.ur actual reduction iropq, England for about twelve months, apd. until after the Dunedin has gone horng, The £200,000 for the Dunedin an cl the £170,000 for the Diomede have to he paid this year. Our reduction ‘ froth the British Government will mqre that) equal the extra cost concerned in dock and barracks at Auckland.

Mr W. Lee Map tin (Labour) Raglan) : Has the Admiralty stated the actual amount of the allowance? :

The Minister replied in the nega-* tive adding that a, number of arrange* ments had yet to be made. Mr Holland: Then we are so ties up that we will have no voice in thej naval estimates? ' The Minister : No it means, we ; are voting moneys in advance to gets-the credits the British Government■'£]will give us in regard to our repairs, lathr on. 1 , , j

Explaining the increase in the land defence expenditure,; Minister said the difference ed a rise fpom 6§ 4d tg, 6s 8d .pef ! of the population. The increase made up. of £IO,OOO for heavj r ,gun. ammunition ordered , last year, and ifpw in storage, £7OPQ„ for tfyp Air' £3OOO for the purchase of Moth plants for the. A erg Clubs, and £6900 for fihe promotion of civil aviation. Thus £]4,000 .wa.s for .the; encpuragement;,,'pf, aviation. y : ..-