THE ESTIMATES

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10712, 4 September 1912, Page 5

THE ESTIMATES

SEVERAL ITEMS PASSED.

RACEHORSES AND POLO PONIES

(By Te'xgrapn—rress Aisociation.)

WELLINGTON, Last Night. The House of Representatives wenfe into Committee this afternoon on theEstimates.

The item of £7190 for the House or* Representatives was passed. At the item Department of Finance £54,301, Mr Witty a.sked wken tli» Government proposed to increase tu» graduated income tax.

The Hon. J. Allen replied that itwas not intended to deal with tho subject this session.

The vote tvas passed

Class 111., Post and Telegraph Department £1,054,624, the PostmasterGeneral stated, iu answer to a question,, that he hoped to increase the* supply of motor cycles for rural deliveries of letters.

Mr G. W. Russell asked tho Minister if the Government was utilising fencing posty for running telephone wires. Such a method of establishing; lines, ho considered, would he of immense benefit to the "backblocks settlers.

Tho Postmaster-General replied that it had been found that the systen* proposed by Mr Russell would not work,, and he could not recommend it. The total vote for Post and Telegraphs was passed unaltered. On the next vote, Working Railways £2,546,000,

Mr H. G. Ell moved to rednce the vote by £l, as an indication that racehorses and polo, ponies should not be carried free on uie railways.

The Hon. W; G. Berries said the* same principle was adopted on most of the railways of the world, it being: generally recognised that a very large* body of people went to see races, ancfr were very profitable to the Department. The concession only amounted? to about £3OOO. It would hit ✓ the. smaller class of owner, who went fco> country meetings, if the coneessioa were withdrawn. It was, generally speaking, a concession, to the smaller clubs.

•Sir Joseph Ward considered it would be a great mistake to carry Mr Ell's amendment. The object of thee ralways was to secure business, and* if that could be done by giving a concession' in one direction so as to get business in another, that was a proper thing to do. Mr Ell's motion was lost on division by 44 votes to 11, The Hon. W. H. Herrieg, replying to criticism, said the question of exi tensions of lines was one for consideration tinder the public works estimates. The Minister for 'Railways had nothing to do with the cost of construction. All he had to do was to try and run the railways, when handed over to the Working Railway Department, at a profit. The wholequostion would bo gone into ag soon. as time permitted. The Hon W. H. Hemes said he recognised that the question was a burning one,, and although ho considered the proposal was a device to encourage people to have large families, hj» must resist it. It would mean a loss of £50,000 a year: He had made 3| per cent., and on the present arrangement" he would only liavo £'50,000 left ovnr to meet emergencies. He could not take that risk" .much as he might desire it. He could net advise the House to take the risk of going below 3 ; 1 per cent. Year by year they had to go before the English money-lend-ers'," who naturally were not competent to hidgo the situation. The Hon W. F. Massey said the Government opposed the proposal because it could not afford it. Mr Millar had done his best to make the railways pay a fair rate of interest on the cost of construction and on themoney borrowed for building railways, and lie was fairlv successful in doing so. When Mr 'Millar went out of office the country went to the other extreme. Concessions were made in all. directions.