INCREASED EXPENDITURE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 691, 17 June 1929, Page 10

INCREASED EXPENDITURE

CONSOLIDATED FUND DEFICIT DETAILS OF ACCOUNTS Details of the revenue account of the Consolidated Fund, showing a deficit of £577.252 for the year ended March 31, 1929, are published in a special Gazette. Last year there was a surplus of £179,076, but comparison of the results is affected by the separation, as from April 1. 1928. of the Post Office transactions, the latter now appearing in the Budget account only in the form of a contribution of interest. In the following summary the figures for 1927-2 S include only net revenue from the Post Office:

In 1927-28 the accounts showed in respect of the Post and Telegraph ways purposes. This amounted to £3,323,260. and working expenses £2,297,058, leaving a net revenue of £1,026,202. The last year’s account received only £428,000 as interest on the department’s capital liability. TAXATION FOR HIGHWAYS Another notable item is the large increase from taxation lor main highways purposes. This amounted to £1.243,577. as against £369,117 for only part of the previous year, while transfers to other accounts totalled £1,226,713. as against £356,063 in 1927-28. The allocation was as follows. the co.rresponnding- amounts being shown in parentheses: Tyre tax, fees, and fines transferred to Main Highways Revenue Fund, £441.346 (£225.602); petrol tax, to Min Highways Fund, £730.414 (£130,461 ); and to borough councils, £54,953 (nil). Expenses of collecting the petrol tax were £8,303, as against £1,710. Following is a comparison of the revenue in the last two years:

SERVICE OF THE PUBLIC DEBT The total expenditure under statutory authority, as distinct from annual appropriations by Parliament, was £16,244,597. About five-eighths of this amount represented the net charge of the Public Debt. £10,111,342. Interest absorbed £8,675,821, an increase of £278,757, and repayment of debt £1.435,521, an increase of £74,993. Another large element was the cost of pensions, details of the net charges for the last two years being as follow:

The railways subsidy was £496.578, as against £484,659. PRINCIPAL EXPENDITURE Following is a comparison of the principal items of departmental expenditure, which is shown under 39

The expenditure of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research was £57.535, as against £44,823.

1927-2S 192S-29 Increase. Revenue . 22.S26.922 23.599,676 772,754 Expenditure— Permanent 14.S79.37S 16,244,597 1,365.219 Annual . . 7,768,468 7,932,331 163,863 22,647,846 24,176,928 1,529,082 Surplus . . 179,076 — — Deficit . . — 577,252 756,328

Customs revenue . IN To tor vehicles . . Excise duty . . . Land tax .... Income tax . Stamp & death dutie Registration fees 1927-28. 1928-20. 7,95*4,252 369,117 1,243,57 7 609,624 611,484 3,273,729 3,310.877 3,504,369 3,575,739 200,259 198,267 112,502 118,250 3,323,250 — — 42S.000 2,130,867 2,331,335 87S.408 995,202 698,057 ’ 760.035 66,964 72,895 200,914 198,803 658,843 660,655 Rost and Telegraph Interest from P.O. Railways Public debt, fund Public moneys . . Tourist resorts . . Miscellaneous . . . Totals 25,123,980 23,599,675

1027-28 192S-29. Old age 088,028 1,018,353 Widows 302,768 312,962 Military 16.377 13,673 War 1,146,955 1,17S,646 Miners 42,469 45,725 Blind 12,240 13,339 £2,489,744 £2,522,698 Family allowances . 37,515 54,815 Totals .. .. .. 25,123,980 23,509,675

Education 1927-28 £ 2,999,615 1028-29. 3.09?,296 Naval defenc e .. . 486,830 Defence 4.81,750 464,595 Police 41 7,975 Internal affairs 349,717 Mental hospitals . 274.818 Public health . . . 246,644 239,757 Printing: office .. . 226,297 220,796 Lands and Survey 186.522 Customs 175,023 Pensions 169,278 132,645 119,078 132,623 110,212 Marine