THE DEFICIT AGAIN.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 250, 20 September 1929, Page 6

THE DEFICIT AGAIN.

Between Sir Joseph Ward and the Leader of tiie Opposition, wffose views are endorsed by the ex-Minister of Finance (.Hon. W. Downie iSteivart), there is a straight out difference of opinion concerning" the need for increased taxation. The i'rirne Minister’s view appears to be that last year’s deficit of £577,000 must be made good from the current year’s revenue. But he has himself already provided for it, as Mr Coates pointed out in Auckland on Monday, by deducting it from the amount of the accumulated surpluses of some £3,200,000 or so left by the lieform Government. The Budget clearly shows that the deduction has been made, and there is no need, therefore, for further provision to meet the deficit, the responsibility for which rests between the Reform Administration and the United Government, with added responsibility on the part of the latter for increasingexpenditure during the fifteen or sixteen -weeks of the last financial year in which it was holding office. Probably more will be heard upon this matter before the session closes. But, dealing with the deficit, the fact is that the Minister of Finance started the present financial year with a clean sheet, so far as the Consolidated Fund is concerned, having no carry over in the shape of a debt to be made good from the 1929-1930 revenue. That is the outstanding fact of the position.

Th© Niagara left Vancouver yesterday en routo for Auckland.

Tho director of the Palmerston North Technical School reported to the monthly meeting of the committee, last evening, that within four days of trees being planted in the Grey Street ground nine had been pulled out by some vandah

Through his clothes catching alight when he was working over an open fire, Mr Gordon AViggins, residing in Kingsland, Auckland, sustained severe burns to the back, necessitating liis removal to the Auckland Hospital. The principal of the Girls’ High School (Mrs M. Rhodes) reported to the meeting of the Board of Governors last evening that Miss Simkin, recently a member of the staff, had presented to the school a fine print, suitably framed.

Extensive improvements to St. Michael’s Church, Remuera, Auckland, have been made possible as a result of a “popular girl competition.” The effort, though it included only a small number of social functions, brought in £1724.

At the meeting of the Palmerston North Technical School Committee last evening the director (Mr G. G. Hancox). reported that Mrs J. Oswald Telford iiad presented to the school a framed photograph of her late son, who was a pupil there at the time of his death.

The opinion is held by Mr L. A. Paisli, British Trade Comniisisoner in New Zealand, that Ihe advent of the “talkie’’ pictures will mean that Great Eritain will have the opportunity of regaining her lost position as a aim prouucer, the purity of English speech being a deciding factor. A Press Association telegram states that as a sequel to the recent oil fire in Caryle Street, Christchurch, the South Island Trading Company was fined £5 on a chaige of storing an excessive quantity of petrol, and £5 for storing it in an unlicensed place. The court aEo ordered tho confiscation of petrol valued at £7oo.

The committee of the Society for the Protection of Women and Children has given close attention to statements regarding the Elsie Walker case, and lias agreed that urgent representations should bo made to the. Minister of Justice with a view to amending the law as to make it possible to reopen an inquest after the finding of the coroner (states an Auckland paper), it is suggested that the amended, law should have retrospective effect. Some humorous sidelights on the work of a trustee were given by Mr ii. E. Ward, late district Public trustee, in an address to the Auckland Credit Men’s Club. Mr Ward mentioned the case of an oid farmer who had come to him to prepare a will, it was explained to the testator Lliat some “machinery” clauses would be necessary, giving the trustee certain powers. “Uh, that is alright, mister, there is no machinery on our farm, we milk by hand,” was the reply received by Mr Ward. The Prime Minister has decided to transfer the control of the Publicity Department front Pion. W. 13. Taverner to Hon. P. A. de la Perrelle. It was pointed out in an announcement yesterdav that the question of publicity was now an important factor in governmental work. When the Cabinet was first constituted the Minister of Railways (Hon. Mr Taverner) was given the charge of publicity activities, out subsequently experience had shown that publicity work appertained more to the realm of Internal Affairs. Accordingly, it had been decided to transfer the control of this activity to the Minister of Internal Affairs (Don. P. A. de la Perrelle).

In less than three months the Norwegian whaling vessels G. A. Larsen and Sir James Clark Ross, togethei with the chasers which have been in winter quarters at Paterson Inlet, Stewart Island, will again be operating in the Ross Sea. The C. A. LaiS6ii and Sir James Clark Ross are now en route to New Zealand from Norway. The first ship is expected to reach Wellington about the middle of October, and the Sir James Clark Ross should arrive at Bluff early next month. The two ships will probably go to Port Chalmers to refit. They will eventually proceed to Stewart Island and take their final departure from Paterson Inlet, accompanied by the chasers, for the southern whaling latitudes.

The 89th anniversary of the hoisting of the Union Jack at Fort Britomart, on the shores of the Waitemata, to mark the establishment of Auckland as the capital of New Zealand, fell last Wednesday. Governor Hobson had made two abortive attempts to establish settlements, first at Kusselltown, some four miles from lvorcrareka, the present Bussell, and then at Churchill, on the Hokianga River, before he made the happy selection at the Waitemata. He named thd new site, which was then uninhabited, after Lord Auckland, then Governor-General of India. The removal from the Bay of Islands was completed early in 1841, and the first sale of town sites was held in April. Auckland remained the capital until February, 1860. What may bo looked forward to as a colourful report on the industrial relationships which exist in the Auckland district between members of the Maori, Chinese and Hindu races will shortly be forwarded to the Minister of Native Affairs by the special committee of inquiry_, which lias now completed its investigations (says the (Star). The committee, of which the chairman is Hr. T. J. Hughes, examined at length European, native, Chinese and Hindu witnesses. Five days were occupied in hearing evidence at Auckland, and one day at Pukekohe. Tours of inspection were also made, of all districts around Auckland in which Maori girls and women are said to have been employed at one time or another in market gardens conducted by Chinese and Hindus. Having completed the tabulating of evidence, the committee is now preparing its findings, and these will go direct to the Minister.