AUSTRALIAN POLITICS.

Gisborne Times, Volume X, Issue 1016, 8 October 1903, Page 1

AUSTRALIAN POLITICS.

JUVENILE SMOKERS.

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright Brisbane, Oct. 7. The Juvenile Smoking Suppression Bill has passed the Council. Perth, Oct, 7. The Budget shows a surplus of receipts over expenditure of £IOB,OOO. The estimates for the new year show a small surplus after providing for £BO,OOO for new railway expenditure. Melbourne, Oet. 7.

Mr Reid delivers a series of addresses in Victoria, opening tho Federal freetrade campaign. To-day is the last day on which duties will be collected between the States, except in the case of West Australia, which under a special clause of the Constitution may impose duties on a gradually diminishing scale for five years. Tho duties of that State will now be reduced by one-fifth. The Treasurer’s Budget shows a surplus of £194,000. Although savings of £186,000 were effected he estimates the surplus was really due to a windfall of £234,000, paid by tho Commonwealth Treasurer over his own estimate. But for this there would have been a deficit of £40,000. A saving was effected in railways of £145,000 per annum. He proposes furthor economies. Ho will introduce legislation to fix the amount to be spent on old age pensions at £150,000. Further retrenchment in subsidies and grants will be made, and in this way he hopes to effect a permanent saving of £IOI,OOO. The public service expenditure will bo still reduced in ordor to lighten the taxpayers’ burden. He anticipated that the surplus for the ensuing year would be £35,000. The total surplus would bo devoted to a reduction of the income tax by 2d in each grade where derived from property, Id where the results are from personal exertion, and £30,000 would bo devoted to extending roads to open up the country.