THE FREE STATE.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18365, 24 April 1925, Page 19

THE FREE STATE.

BUDGET DELIVERED.

LIMITED PROTECTION.

(81 CABLE—PBESS ASSOCIATION—COrTBIGHT.) (better's telegbamsO

(Eeceived April 23rd, 7.5 p.m.)

LONDON, April 22.

The Free State Budget increases the protection on a number of manufactures, notably 15 per cent on wearing apparel, blankets and rugs, and 33 per cent, on bedsteads and wooden furniture.

It provides for a reduction of the income-tax to four shillings, abolishes the duty on tea, cocoa, coffee and chicory," and the Imperial preference on

sugar. In the Dail Eireann, Mr Blyth, Minister of Finance, in Siis Budget speech, mentioned that the cost of the Army last year was £.3,000,0000 compared witli £10,500,000 in 1923. He anticipated that it would be £2,000,000 next year. He declared that tho result of last year's experiment in protection was satisfactory, notably in the matter of the boot tax, which yielded £250,000 and stimulated local production remarkably, but beyond the proposals mentioned above the Government did not intend to increase the tariff before the general election. Various remissions of Customs duties will become operative on May 6th. The sugar duty will be reduced to a flat rate of Id per lb. The Finance Minister stated that the Government had accepted the proposals of a Belgian group by which the Government will aid the establishment of the beet sugar industry. This means a remission of the excise duties or a subsidy of £1,961,000 for a decade. If the experiment fails the loss would fall on the company which is putting up the capital.