B.—4a

Items—Recreation-grounds and Domains Subsidies, £602. 949. There are eight items under this heading, representing grants in respect of various recreationgrounds and domains. We are of opinion that grants such as these should be eliminated, and that any funds required for the acquisition or improvement of recreation-grounds or domains should be provided by local effort. There is too great a tendency to lean on the Central Government for luxury provisions such as these. 950. There is a further aspect that most of the projects assisted have only a local interest, and for this reason also they should not be a charge against general taxation. Saving, £602. Item—Road Access, Kumara-liapitea Road, £160. 951. This item can be deleted. Saving, £160. Item —Hauraki West Drainage Board: Maintenance of Drains, £238. 952. This represents a subsidy to the ratepayers in the Hauraki West Drainage Area in respect of the maintenance of drains. The Crown has already expended considerable sums of public money in the reclamation of land in the Hauraki Plains Area, and we see no reason why further subsidies should be provided towards the maintenance of drains constructed at considerable loss by the Government. We recommend that this subsidy be abolished. Saving, £238. Item —Kaitaia Drainage Area, £980. 953. This item is similar to the previous one. In this area also there has already been a very large capital loss on the construction of drainage-works, and it should not be unreasonable to expect the ratepayers to meet the full cost of maintaining the drains. 954. We recommend that the item be abolished. Saving, £980. Item—Lake Wanaka Mail-service: Subsidy, £18. 955. There is no justification for subsidizing such services. We recommend that the item be deleted. Saving, £18. Item —Rangitaiki Land Drainage: Maintenance of Completed Works, £2,500. 956. This also is a subsidy in connection with the maintenance of drains in the Rangitaiki Land Drainage Area. 957. Here again there is already a burden on general taxation exceeding £300,000 for the construction of the works, and there is no justification for continued subsidies towards the maintenance of the works, which should be a charge on the local ratepayers. We recommend the abolition of this item. Saving, £2,500. Item—South Westland Mail-steamer, £800. 958. We consider that too large a subsidy has been paid in this case, particularly in view of the relatively small amount of produce from the locality. We recommend that the item be reduced to £500. Saving, £300. Item—Wanganui River Improvement, £1,800. 959. Assistance was no doubt necessary when the settlers along the Wanganui River were dependent upon the river for access. Road access is now being provided, and it is reasonable that this item be reduced. We recommend a reduction to £1,200. Saving, £600. Item—Wanganui River Mail-service, £3,000. 960. This item is to provide a subsidy for the mail-service on the Wanganui River. The present contract expires in 1934, and immediate savings are not possible. We have mentioned in connection with the previous item that road access is now being provided, and there should be no necessity for the continuation of a large mail subsidy when the present contract expires. In any case it should be possible to arrange for a cheaper method of carrying the mails, and we recommend that the present contract be not extended. Subdivision lll.—Scenery Preservation. Jtem—Section 3, Block VII, Tuahu Survey District, &c., £283. ~ Grant to Hawera Borough Council for planting Trees, £29. „ Sections 9146 and 9147, Rosewill Settlements, c6c., £231. 961. The above items should not be repeated. Saving, £543.

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