BRITAIN'S BUDGET

Chronicle (Levin), 10 April 1948, Page 5

BRITAIN'S BUDGET

(N.Z.P.A. —

-Reuter,

Claimed "As Niggardly As A Stepmother's Kiss !"

, Copyright)

Received Friday, S.50 p.m. LOXDOX, April 9. Of course Sir Stafford Gripps has been the main topic in Britain this, week. There were all the usual c-riti-eisms of the Budget. Some said it was good, others thought it bad, othei'w though t it wrong and inept — this latter eritieism froni a Labour luember of Parliament. Generally speaking, the man in the street was less concerned with its (irst airu of reducing i'lllationary presstire by collecting a real ijnd big surplus as he was with the income tax and pnrchase tax concessions and the increase in the pricd of beer and cigarettes. At leasi . another# lialf a millioa people with small incomes leauied they would havt to pav no income tax in the future while" everyone else found they would have to pav less. This was liked, and so were some oi' lite purcliase tax re- ( ductions. Even so, Airs. Jean Alanu, a Labour back-bencher, thought Bir Ht alford might have gone furtlier. Blie regarded these reductions as "a niggardly peek — like a stepmother's kiss! " Attacking the 35 1-3 per cent. tax on utilitv fully fashioned stockings she asked: "Boesn't »Sir Stafford like to see neat stockings.' Does he like the comigated ii'on ankle type stockings t' Alost of the grumoliug perhaps canio over ihe higlier prices that vvill have to be paitl for tobaceo, vvhiskv and beer The various incrr.ases, 2d on 20 cigarettes, ld a piixt on beer, and the "cosi of living, " as a Scolsnian call^d it, rise 011 a bottle of vvhiskv by 2s 4d tc 33s 4d, have not been well received. ll is pointed out that if it .was Sir Stat ford's intention by making these adclitions to check ueople spending monev ou these things he vvill fail since neither conlirnied smokers nor people who take an occasional drink vvill rel'use to spring the extra penny or tvvopence. 'Ihe most intense eritieism of Sir Stafford Cripps ou his Budget cairn* froni those v\lio vvill have to pav the iuvestment levy. There is some doubt as to their exact nuiuiier at the nioment since the Vhanceiior himself put the nuuiber at 140,000 and Air. Douglas •)ay, Ecoiiomic Secretarv to the Treasury, said later in the same. debate they would be at 125,000. As regards the luauner of Sir Stafford 's deJivery oi" the Budget there is uo eritieism but pntise. Air. C'liurcliili tlescribed the specv-h as " a comprehensive and lucid siatenient in whicJi fevv vvords were vvasted, " and "vvorlhy of Budget occasions iu the past." The Chancellor, it was noted, made only oue slip of the tongue, made no singlo gesture, and cracked only oue jpke uliich was lugejy missed by tlie Jlouse — "L jiropose, " he said, " to abolish from Alay lirst the excise dutv of eightponce a gallon 011 unsweetened table waters — 111:1 1 11 1 v a. tax on soda water which 1 don 'z drink. 1 hope nobody vvill aceuse ino of encouraging inllationarv tendencies. ' ' Inevitaiily Sir Stafford came in for popular jijiblicity (iuriug.tlie w eplL, Dwc report deseribed 111m as "a vegetarian, a teetotaller, a mihi bath addict, an exercise liend, and a prexdavvh insom niac." It was stated that he goes to bed at ten pipomma, rises at four aekeiniua, w rites for nvo hours, takes a walk in St. .hines". Park just before seven ackemina, tiieu has a cold shovver before breakfast! The secret of„his energy and povver of coiicentratiou is said to be • ' yoghourt, " a- sour milk junkel which ca.i be s]>elt in 18 differcnt ways and served in as many dislies!