This Act may be cited as the Appropriation Act. 1907.

The Minister of Finance may issue and apply out of the Consolidated Fund, towards making good the supplies granted to His Majesty for the services of the year ending on the thirty-first day of March, nineteen hundred and eight, any sums not exceeding in the whole the sum of one million seven hundred and thirty-three thousand six hundred and sixty-five pounds, together with the amount of the fees hereinafter mentioned.

All sums granted as aforesaid out of the Consolidated Fund by this Act, together with the sums granted out of that fund by the other Acts mentioned in the First Schedule hereto, amounting in the whole to five million one hundred and thirty-five thousand eight hundred and seventy-two pounds, as appears by the said Schedule, together with the fees collected by such public officers as are authorised to retain the same in lieu of salary, are hereby appropriated for the several services and purposes expressed in the several votes specified in the Abstract in the said First Schedule.

The Minister of Finance may issue and apply out of the Public Works Fund, towards making good the supplies granted to His Majesty for the works and services of the year ending as aforesaid, any sums not exceeding in the whole the sum of nine hundred and seventy-two thousand two hundred and thirty-four pounds.

All sums granted as aforesaid out of the Public Works Fund by this Act, together with the sums granted out of that fund by the other Acts mentioned in the Second Schedule hereto, amounting in the whole to two million two hundred and one thousand two hundred and ten pounds, as appears by the said Second Schedule, are hereby appropriated for the several works and services expressed in the several votes specified in the Abstract in the said Second Schedule.

Out of the respective accounts mentioned in the Abstract in the Third Schedule hereto the Minister of Finance may issue and apply, towards making good the supplies granted to His Majesty for the services of the year ending as aforesaid, any sums not exceeding in the whole the sum of three hundred and fifty-seven thousand three hundred and seventy-nine pounds.

All sums granted as aforesaid out of the said respective accounts by this Act, together with the sums granted out of those accounts by the other Acts mentioned in the said Third Schedule hereto, amounting in the whole to eight hundred and forty thousand nine hundred and forty-nine pounds, as appears by the said Schedule, are hereby appropriated for the respective services and purposes expressed in the several votes specified in the Abstract in the said Third Schedule.

Whereas the Minister of Finance has, under the authority of section forty-seven of the Public Revenues Act, 1891, issued, during the twelve months ended the thirty-first day of March, nineteen hundred and seven, in excess of or without the appropriation of Parliament, the respective sums mentioned in the Fifth Schedule hereto, out of the Consolidated Fund, the Public Works Fund, and the other accounts mentioned in the said Schedule, amounting in the whole to the sum of one hundred and one thousand nine hundred and seventy-three pounds and ninepence, and has also discharged from the Public Account the sum of two thousand one hundred and forty pounds twelve shillings and threepence, mentioned in the said Schedule as being due to but irrecoverable by the Crown, and has caused the said sums to be applied to the several purposes and services mentioned in the said Fifth Schedule: Be it enacted that the application and discharge of the said sums are hereby sanctioned.

There shall be issued and paid by the Minister of Finance out of the Consolidated Fund to the Council or Board of each county, road district, and town district, in respect of the general rates described in the Schedule to the Local Bodies’ Finance and Powers Act, 1885 (in this section referred to as the said Act), levied for the year ending as aforesaid, and actually collected on or before the thirtieth day of June ensuing next after the said thirty-first day of March, one-fourth of the amounts to which they would be entitled under the plan of distribution described in the Schedule to the said Act.

Upon the application of the local body, setting forth the amount of general rates collectible for the year ending the said thirty-first day of March, and showing separately how much thereof is in respect of Native lands, seventy-five per centum, and no more, of the amount which it is estimated by the Valuer-General may become payable to such local body for rates other than rates on Native lands may be advanced to such local body within that year.

On receipt by the Valuer-General of returns, duly verified by the declaration of the Chairman or Treasurer of a local body, showing the amount of the rates aforesaid actually collected to the said thirtieth day of June, the amount of subsidy found to be payable in respect of such rates, less the amount (if any) advanced as aforesaid, shall be paid to such local body; and any sum advanced in excess of the amount so found to be payable shall be repaid by the local body to the Public Account, or be recovered by the Minister of Finance out of any moneys payable to such local body.

Where a local body has adopted the Rating on Unimproved Value Act, 1896, no subsidy shall be payable on any amount exceeding the sum which would be recoverable on a rate of three farthings in the pound on the capital or gross value of the rateable property in its district.

The provisions of the first paragraph of the Schedule to the said Act, and of the last preceding subsection hereof, shall apply to subsidies payable to Borough Councils under the Municipal Corporations Act, 1900.

In case any doubt arises as to the several payments to be made under this section, or as to payments to be made in respect of newly formed districts wherein the local body has not had sufficient time to levy and collect rates, the Governor in Council may decide the amounts of such payments, and his decision shall be final.

The Minister of Finance is hereby authorised to issue and pay out of the Consolidated Fund, by way of temporary advance, any sum or sums, not exceeding in the whole the sum of one thousand pounds, for the purpose of defraying any charges or expenses incurred by or on behalf of any local governing body.

All such advances shall be repaid to the Consolidated Fund out of the first moneys thereafter accruing to such local governing body, and may be deducted or recovered by the Minister of Finance accordingly.

For the purposes of this section the expression “local governing body” means a County Council, Borough Council, Town Board, Road Board, River Board, Harbour Board, or Education Board; and includes any other body or persons, however designated, to whom any moneys are payable out of the Consolidated Fund.

Whenever it becomes necessary that money should be expended on account of the Government Insurance Department, the Government Accident Insurance Department, the Public Trust Office, the Government Advances to Settlers Office, the Government Advances to Workers Office, or the State Fire Insurance Department, in excess of or without the appropriation of Parliament, the Government Insurance Commissioner, the Public Trustee, the Superintendent, or the General Manager, as the case may be, may, with the sanction of the Minister of Finance, but not otherwise, pay such money in excess of or without the appropriation of Parliament.

All such expenditure shall be charged to the Unauthorised Expenditure Account.

The Minister of Finance is hereby authorised to agree with any or all of the banking institutions doing business in New Zealand for the purchase on their behalf of silver and bronze coin from the Royal Mint in London, or from any branch thereof in Australia, to an amount not exceeding one hundred thousand pounds (including the expenses incidental to such purchase), and all moneys so expended shall be paid without further appropriation than this Act.

The Minister of Finance may transfer any sum or sums not exceeding in the whole eight hundred thousand pounds from the Consolidated Fund to the Public Works Fund, to be issued and applied to the purposes and services provided for in this Act.

It shall be lawful for the Governor, in the name and on behalf of His Majesty the King, to enter into any contracts, or to incur any liabilities, for carrying on the works and services for which money is appropriated by this Act:

Provided that in the case of the works and services specified in the Fourth Schedule hereto the amount of liability thereby incurred shall not, together with the sum appropriated therefor, exceed the sum set down in the ninth column in that Schedule opposite to each such work or service.

Out of the moneys appropriated by this Act for the construction of public roads, and such other public works as are usually constructed by or are under the control of local authorities, sums may be paid over to such local authorities as the Minister in charge of the Department in connection with which such roads or works are constructed determines, to such amounts and upon such terms and conditions as such Minister prescribes, to be expended by such authorities upon any of the works or services for which the same are appropriated by this Act; and the Minister of Finance may make all such payments accordingly.

The moneys appropriated by this Act for the construction or improvement of railways, roads, bridges, buildings, and other public works shall be available for all or any of the following purposes:—

The cost of tools, plant, provisions, clothing, or other requisites sold or lent to any worker as aforesaid may be deducted from time to time, in one or more sums of money, from the money earned, whether by day labour or by co-operative contract, by the said worker.

The Minister of Finance may issue and pay out of the Consolidated Fund all moneys lawfully payable to any Natives under and by virtue of the agreements validated by the Auckland Gold Fields Proclamations Validation Act, 1869, or to any persons lawfully entitled to the lands from which the revenues accrue in virtue of any such agreement.

All advances made by the Minister of Finance under the Lands Improvement and Native Lands Acquisition Act, 1894, to settlers for improving their lands, and all expenses connected therewith, whether such advances are made directly to any member of an association or expended by or under the directions of the Minister of Lands, may be paid out of the vote taken in Class XL, Public Works Fund, for improved-farm settlements.

From and after the passing of this Act the cost of collection referred to in section three of the Local Bodies’ Finance and Powers Act, 1885, shall not be defrayed out of the revenues which by virtue of that section form part of the County Fund, and that Act is hereby amended accordingly.

In any case where the Minister of Finance is satisfied that any local authority liable to make any payment in respect of the costs and expenses incident to the election and meetings of the Licensing Committee, as provided in section sixteen of the Alcoholic Liquors Sale Control Act Amendment Act, 1895, has made default in so doing, he may pay the same out of the Consolidated Fund, and may cause the amount so paid to be recovered from the defaulting local authority as a debt due to the Crown, or to be deducted from any subsidy or other moneys at any time payable by the Government to such local authority.

The Public Trustee, with the sanction of the Public Trust Office Board, may, notwithstanding anything contained in section thirty-seven of the Public Trust Office Consolidation Act, 1894, or any Act, out of any balance to the credit of the Profit and Loss Account, apply any sum not exceeding thirty-five thousand pounds in the purchase of land with buildings thereon, and in any alterations thereto, or in the purchase of land and the erection of buildings thereon, in the City of Wellington or the City of Christchurch, and in providing office accommodation and furniture for the purpose of carrying on the business of the Public Trust Office.

Out of the vote for Irrigation and Water-supply, in Class XL, Public Works Fund, the Minister of Lands may from time to time, as he thinks fit,—

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in the Cook and other Islands Government Act, 1901, it shall be lawful to issue and pay moneys for the services of the Cook and other Islands Administrations between the first day of April in any year and the date of the passing of the Appropriation Act for that year:

Provided that no payments shall be made for any services other than those for which provision was made in the Appropriation Act for the preceding year.

All moneys payable in respect of the acquisition of lands under section twenty of the Maori Land Settlement Act, 1905, and in respect of advances under section twenty-four thereof, shall, without further appropriation than that Act, be payable out of moneys raised under section twenty-three thereof or under section two of the Maori Land Settlement Act Amendment Act, 1907; and those Acts shall be, and as from the coming into operation thereof shall be deemed to have been, a sufficient appropriation accordingly.

Whereas doubts have arisen whether the costs mentioned in subsection two of section four of the Workers’ Dwellings Act, 1905, in respect of lands acquired under the Land for Settlements Consolidation Act, 1900, are moneys payable out of the Land for Settlements Account within the terms of the appropriation contained in section seventy-one of that Act: Be it therefore enacted that from the coming into operation of the Workers’ Dwellings Act, 1905, the said costs shall be and be deemed to have been within the terms of the appropriation aforesaid.

Whereas in laying out and forming roads in respect of lands subject to the Land for Settlements Consolidation Act, 1900, it has been found necessary to acquire portions of adjoining lands for the purpose of providing road access: Be it therefore enacted that all moneys so expended shall be deemed to be moneys payable out of the Land for Settlements Account, and shall be payable accordingly under the appropriation contained in section seventy-one of that Act.

For the purpose of assisting in opening up and developing lands for settlement in arid territory, the Minister of Finance is empowered to raise on the security of and charged upon the revenues of New Zealand such sums of money, not exceeding in the whole the sum of one hundred thousand pounds, as he thinks fit.

The sum so raised shall bear interest at such rate, not exceeding four and a half per centum per annum, as the Minister of Finance prescribes.

This Act shall be deemed to be an authorising Act within the meaning of the New Zealand Loans Act, 1904, and the moneys herein authorised to be raised shall be raised under and subject to the provisions of that Act accordingly.

All moneys raised under the authority of this section shall, as and when raised, be paid into the Public Account to the credit of the Public Works Fund, and shall from time to time, without further appropriation than this Act, be applied by the Minister of Lands for the purposes mentioned in section twenty-two of this Act, in addition to any sums expended out of the vote referred to in that section.

Moneys required to be transferred to the Foreign Imprest Account shall, as far as practicable, be charged in the voucher and requisition against the vote or other authority for the service for which such imprest is required:

Provided that the Treasury may charge money against an account to be called “General Imprest” in lieu of a vote or other authority, and in such case the amount so charged shall be issued accordingly:

Provided also that the total amount for the time being outstanding in the books of the Treasury and Audit Office for “General Imprest” shall not exceed one hundred thousand pounds.

Moneys imprested as a charge to “General Imprest” shall in due course be transferred to the several votes or authorities for the purposes whereof the moneys are expended, and the item “General Imprest” shall be credited with the amount so transferred.

Section sixty-three of the Public Revenues Act, 1891, is hereby repealed, and this section is substituted therefor, and shall have effect accordingly until repealed by any Act hereafter to be passed.

It shall be lawful for any Board constituted under the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Act, 1885, and for the trustees of any separate institution incorporated under that Act, to pay the reasonable travelling-expenses of a delegate in attending on behalf of such Board or trustees any conference of such delegates that may be held during the financial year ending on the thirty-first day of March, nineteen hundred and eight:

Provided that such travelling-expenses shall not exceed in the case of any such delegate the sum of fifteen pounds.

When any of the votes specified in the Schedules hereto contains an item under any title which does not specifically appropriate expenditure for any particular purpose, such item shall be deemed to include any expenditure incidental to the said vote, but not otherwise specifically appropriated thereby.

Any moneys payable into the Public Account may, with the authority of the Minister of Finance, be lodged for credit of that account with such Postmasters as the Postmaster-General authorises to receive such moneys; and the amount of such lodgments shall be paid into the Public Account by the Postmaster-General at such times as the Minister of Finance directs.

The provisions of the Electoral Act, 1905, shall not apply to any payments which, under the authority of any appropriation now or hereafter made by Parliament, are received by any member of the House of Representatives by way of remuneration for services rendered by him as a member of the Commission referred to in the Native Land Settlement Act, 1907, or otherwise rendered by him in respect of the work of that Commission.