This Act may be cited as the Appropriation Act, 1917.

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 eighteen, any sums not exceeding in the whole the sum of three million seven hundred and seventy thousand three hundred and twenty-three 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 nine million one hundred and sixty-one thousand two hundred and seventy-eight pounds, as appears by the said Schedule, together with the fees collected by such public officers as are authorized 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 one million one hundred and sixty-four thousand three hundred and fifty-nine 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 one million eight hundred and ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and forty 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.

Where any of the moneys appropriated by this section for the construction, maintenance, and supervision of roads, bridges, and other public works are by the estimates for the current financial year as approved by the House of Representatives allocated for the construction, maintenance, or supervision of any particular road or bridge, the moneys so allocated, or any portion thereof, may be expended for the construction or maintenance of any other road or bridge (within the district of the same local authority) for which no specific provision is made by the said estimates.

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 six hundred and seventy-four thousand eight hundred and twenty-two 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 one million two hundred and seventy-nine thousand six hundred and fifty-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.

It shall be lawful for the Governor-General, 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.

Whereas the Minister of Finance has, under the authority of section fifty-four of the Public Revenues Act, 1910, issued, during the twelve months ended the thirty-first day of March, nineteen hundred and seventeen, 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 eighty-nine thousand five hundred and forty-three pounds fifteen shillings and tenpence, and has caused the said sums to be applied to the several purposes and services mentioned in the said Fifth Schedule, and has also discharged from the Public Account the sum of four thousand four hundred and seventeen pounds seventeen shillings and one penny, mentioned in the said Schedule as being due to but irrecoverable by the Crown: Be it enacted that the application and discharge of the said sums are hereby sanctioned.

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.

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 XXVI, Public Works Fund, for improved-farm settlements.

The Minister of Finance may transfer such sums as he may deem fit from the Consolidated Fund to the War Expenses Account to be issued and applied as provided for in section eight of the Public Revenues Amendment Act, 1914.

Notwithstanding anything in section two hundred and forty-six of the Legislature Act, 1908, there may be paid to any member of the General Assembly in addition to expenses of locomotion the sum of one pound for each day of twenty-four hours occupied in travelling to and returning from a meeting of the General Assembly. In cases where a period less than twenty-four hours is so occupied the full sum of one pound shall be paid. Such payment shall be in commutation of reasonable sums actually paid by the member in so travelling.

For the purposes of this section the term “expenses of locomotion” means the expenditure actually incurred by any member in respect of passage-money or fares for the conveyance of the said member when travelling as aforesaid.

In all claims for expenses of locomotion under this section full particulars of the expenditure shall be shown for purposes of audit, and, except in the case of train fares, ordinary steamer fares, and ordinary coach fares, receipts for all payments made in excess of five shillings shall accompany the claim.

Notwithstanding anything in the Public Service Classification and Superannuation Act, 1908, or any other Act, payment may be made to Charles Ranken Vickerman, Esquire, and William Charles Kensington, Esquire, of sums equal to the amounts deducted from their superannuation allowances under the said Act in respect of the fees received or receivable by them respectively for services rendered to the Government while acting under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1908, to inquire and report on certain matters in connection with the Wairau and the Waikato Rivers or either of those rivers.

Notwithstanding anything in the Civil List Act, 1908,—

The period of twelve months referred to in subsection one of section forty-nine of the Public Service Act, 1912, is hereby extended to the thirty-first day of March, nineteen hundred and eighteen.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Public Service Act, 1912, or in any other Act, there may be paid to officers of the classes hereinafter referred to, by way of bonus or grants for special services, such sums as may be appropriated for those purposes by Parliament.

Payments under this section may be made to any persons employed either permanently or temporarily in the Government service, or in the service of any Education Board, or in any technical school of which an Education Board is the controlling authority, or to persons appointed to any office pursuant to the provisions of any Act and in receipt of public moneys as remuneration for services in respect of the duties of such office.

In addition to the payments authorized to be made by the foregoing provisions of this section, and notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Public Service Act, 1912, payments may lawfully be made by way of commission to any officer of the Government Life Insurance Department, the State Fire Insurance Office, or the National Provident Fund Office:

Provided that no such payment by way of commission shall be made to the administrative head of any such Department or Office.

The moneys paid under this section out of any fund or account shall not exceed such amount as may be appropriated by Parliament for payment out of that fund or account in accordance with the estimates as approved by the House of Representatives for the current financial year.

Whereas it is enacted by subsection four of section nineteen of the Appropriation Act, 1916, that the moneys to be paid to officers by way of bonus or grants under that section out of any fund or account should not exceed such amounts as might be appropriated for payment out of that fund or account: And whereas the said amounts were not in all cases appropriated in accordance with the intention of the said section: Be it therefore enacted as follows:—

All payments made or purporting to be made under the authority of the said section or for the purposes of the said section are hereby declared to have been legally made, and all acts performed in connection with the said payments are hereby validated.

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 be an appropriation for expenditure on purposes other than those of the other items of the vote.

For the purpose of encouraging the production and refinement of mineral oil in New Zealand the Minister of Finance is hereby authorized to pay out of the Consolidated Fund, by way of loan, with such security and on such terms and conditions as he thinks fit, any sum or sums not exceeding in the aggregate the sum of four thousand pounds.

For the purpose of providing additional cold storage in New Zealand, the Minister of Finance may from time to time raise, on the security of and charged upon the public revenues of New Zealand, such sums of money as he thinks fit, not exceeding the sum of one hundred and twenty thousand pounds.

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

For the purposes of this section this Act shall be deemed to be an authorizing Act within the meaning of the New Zealand Loans Act, 1908, and the moneys hereby authorized to be raised shall be raised under and subject to the provisions of that Act accordingly.

All moneys raised under this section shall be paid into the Public Account to the credit of a special account to be called “The Cold Storage Advances Account.”

There shall from time to time be charged to and paid out of the said account, without further appropriation than this Act,—

The Minister of Agriculture (hereinafter in this section referred to as the Minister) is hereby authorized to make advances out of the Cold Storage Advances Account for the purpose of providing cold storage.

Every advance made under this section shall be subject to such terms and conditions and such provision for repayment as the Minister determines.

All sums paid by way of interest or in repayment of principal shall be paid into the Cold Storage Advances Account.

Every advance under this section shall be secured in such way as the Minister determines.

This section shall remain in operation until it is specifically repealed.

Expenditure heretofore incurred by the Port Chalmers Borough Council in connection with various patriotic purposes to an amount not exceeding twenty-four pounds is hereby validated.

All costs, charges, and expenses from time to time incurred by the Minister of Finance in raising moneys which he is authorized by section one hundred and ten of the Public Revenues Act, 1910, to raise on the security of the Reserve Fund securities, and all interest on those moneys, shall, without further appropriation than this Act, be paid out of the Consolidated Fund.

This section shall remain in force until it is specifically repealed.

Whereas by section sixty-three of the Land Laws Amendment Act, 1913, it is provided that the sum of one hundred thousand pounds shall be set aside in each financial year for the formation and construction of roads and bridges within or affording access to blocks of Crown land or other land administered by a Land Board: And whereas it is desired to expend a portion of the said sum, not exceeding twenty thousand pounds, for the formation and construction of roads within or affording access to lands that may be set apart under section three or section four of the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act, 1915: And whereas it is not now possible to appropriate any part of the said sum of twenty thousand pounds for any particular road or for roads within any particular block of land: Be it therefore enacted as follows:—

The sum of twenty thousand pounds (being part of the sum of one hundred thousand pounds set aside for the current financial year pursuant to section sixty-three of the Land Laws Amendment Act, 1913) may be expended, without further appropriation than this section, in the formation and construction of roads within or affording access to any block of land that may be now or hereafter set apart under section three or section four of the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act, 1915.

In addition to the purposes specified in section seventy-nine of the Finance Act, 1917, any moneys in the Discharged Soldiers Employment Account may, without further appropriation than this section, be expended for all or any of the following purposes, namely:—

For the purposes of this section the Governor-General may, by Order in Council gazetted, make regulations prescribing the form of security, and the terms and conditions on which, and the persons or classes of persons to whom, advances may be made under paragraph (a) of the last preceding subsection.

Whereas by section thirty-five of the Finance Act, 1916, the Minister of Finance was empowered to raise moneys not exceeding in the whole the sum of sixteen million pounds: And whereas by section thirty-six of the said Act the Postmaster-General was empowered to issue war-loan certificates for the purpose of facilitating the raising of the said moneys, provided, amongst other things, that the total amount represented by the said certificates and not redeemed, together with the amount represented by outstanding debentures or other securities issued in respect of moneys authorized to be raised as aforesaid, should not exceed the said sum of sixteen million pounds: And whereas it has been ascertained that the total amount of such moneys which has been raised, and which is represented by the certificates, debentures, or other securities aforesaid, exceeds the said sum of sixteen million pounds: It is hereby enacted that the amount so raised in excess shall be deemed to have been authorized by the said Finance Act, and securities may be issued and all things necessary may be done in respect of the said excess as though such excess had formed part of the said sum of sixteen million pounds.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Land and Income Tax Act, 1916, or the Finance Act, 1917, the Commissioner of Taxes may, in his discretion, exempt any society or association of persons from payment of land-tax and income-tax, either in whole or in part, in respect of land or the income derived from land used as grounds for the purposes of cricket or football or other athletic sports if he is satisfied that the revenues derived from such grounds have suffered, in consequence of the war, to such an extent as to make the payment of the said taxes a hardship.

Notwithstanding anything in section seventeen of the Public Service Act, 1912, the first general regrading of the officers employed in the Public Service shall not be made before the expiration of seven years after the first grading; and no special regrading of any position to which a salary in excess of two hundred and sixty pounds per annum is attached shall be made pursuant to section twenty-nine of the said Act until the proposed additional cost thereof has been voted by Parliament.

This section shall continue in operation until it is specifically repealed.

The Minister of Railways may, on the recommendation of the permanent head of the Government Railways Department, authorize the payment to members of the Railway service of allowances at the following rates, namely:—

The allowances payable under this section in any financial year shall not exceed such amount as may be appropriated for the purpose by Parliament, and shall not in any financial year exceed the sum of one hundred and seventy-five thousand pounds.

Such allowances shall be in addition to the salaries or wages or any other allowances that may be payable to members pursuant to any other authority than this section.

This section shall come into operation on the eighth day of December, nineteen hundred and seventeen, and shall remain in force during the continuance of the war and for three months thereafter, unless it is specifically repealed before that date.

Notwithstanding anything in section twelve of the Greymouth Harbour Board Act, 1884, the Greymouth Harbour Board is hereby relieved from its liability to pay to the Crown any proportion of the special rate received by it in respect of coal brought for shipment in the Greymouth Harbour at any time after the commencement of this Act and during the continuance of the present war.

So long as this section remains in force the Civil List Act, 1908, as amended by section two of the Civil List Amendment Act, 1915, shall be read and shall operate as if in the Second Schedule to the first-mentioned Act the words “To ten other members of the Executive Council” were substituted for the words “To eight other members of the Executive Council,” and as if the amount of £10,000 were substituted for the amount of £8,000.

This section shall be deemed to have been in force on and after the first day of April, nineteen hundred and sixteen, and payment may be made accordingly.

This section shall remain in force while the Civil List Amendment Act, 1915, is in force, and no longer.

The authority conferred by section twenty-four of the War Legislation Amendment Act, 1916, on local authorities and other public bodies, to expend money in rendering assistance to the Recruiting Board, shall be deemed to include and at all times since the enactment of that section to have included an authority to expend money in assisting the work of recruiting, and in particular to include and to have included as aforesaid an authority to expend money in respect of the reasonable entertainment of departing and returned soldiers.

The amounts of ninety-six thousand six hundred and eighty-nine pounds eight shillings and sevenpence and two thousand three hundred and seventy-nine pounds six shillings and ninepence, respectively issued and applied under section forty-three of the Public Revenues Act, 1910, also by way of imprest out of the accounts in the Public Account known as the Telegraph Extension Account and the National Endowment Account, pursuant to Imprest Supply Acts passed during this present session of Parliament, are hereby appropriated for the purposes for which such moneys have been expended.