FIRST IMPRESSIONS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1822, 7 August 1913, Page 5

FIRST IMPRESSIONS.

- OPINIONS ON THE BUDGET. DIVERSE VIEWS. Government members who were invited to express an opinion upon the Budget last uvening were unanimous in, approving such oi its leading features as they had noted.' "It is not to packed witu promises as some Statements we have heard," one Government supporter remarked, "but this Government keeps its promises, and bearing that in mind, this year's Statement is a very satisfactory one." A similar, view was expressed by. an Independent' member,' who usually votes . with the Government. Opposition members, on the other hand, had very different things to say. "It seems to me that the Government is hedging, and waiting to see which way the cat will jump," said one ' Oppositionist. "Some of the proposals sound all right, but the best of them are in the air, and : they' are vague." Opposition Complaints, Another Opposition member considered that the Government had erred on tho side of moderation in its borrowing proposals. "A million and three-quarters is not enough," he said, "I am in favour of borrowing whatever may l>e necessary to push on rapidly with tue construction of railways," t Naturally, after the keen debate in the afternoon, much interest was taken in the ■ proposals regarding increases iu school teachers' salaries. The prevailing, opinion of such Oppositionists as, were spoken to on this subject was that tho proposals at best would effect only a trilling improvement. "It. is only a concession of about Ji12,000 a year in all," said one Oppositionist; "that will not go far." , "isothing to discuss—not worth discussing," was the abrupt way in which one prominent anti-Reiormar summed up the Budget when askad for his opinion. "There is 110 policy," lie continued; "it is all consolidation. There is no pronouncement about anything new. • The education -provision—the increments to teachers—is only a dole, and would not have been given had net the Opposition hannueivd -away at the Government." I'his member expressed the opinion that the debate upon the Hudgst would be a yery long one. All those who had nut spoken upon the Addrws-i.n-Rfply dslxite, lie .raid, would speak on this, ami many of these who had spoken would .have another specch ready. Another Oppositionist endorsed the charge of "ne policy." Financial reform, ho commented, evidently hid. not "come off." for borrowing was still to 1* pursued, as in the past.' From his point of view, the Budget was a good one, for it showed the country that the Government had no policy. , .

A Good Proorammo, Government'members to whom the Opposition remarks about "no policy" were submitted did not appwr to Ire at all impressed by them. "It is of no use filling up the Budget with proposals that can't bs carried out during the ■ current session," said one northern member who supports the Govnriimc-nf. "This year's proposal; may not b? .so many when contrasted with' those of previous sessions, for the ample reason 'that the late Administration used to fill up its Budget with proposals which vera "never carried out. The .Budget as it stands contains a good working programme for the session, and vfl shall do very well indeed if uo put all the proposals that it emWi#s on tho Statute Book this vcor.' There are many other things that tho Government will havo to do, but tbo Budget contains any amount of material for oils session."