Retrenchment Bill New Accepted by French Assembly

Grey River Argus, 21 September 1948, Page 5

Retrenchment Bill New Accepted by French Assembly

PARIS, Sept. 10. The French National Assembly adopted the Premier, Dr. Queuille’s Finance Bill by 291 votes £o 251, with 34 abstentions. The Assembly made minor changes in the Bill. The vote of approval came after a debate lasting over 24 hours. The Assembly voted by a show of hands to set up a special disciplinary commission to control the State budget and expenditure. The Assembly rejected a Communist counter project calling for a big cut in the military budget, but adopted several amendments slightly reducing the new taxes on motor-cars and spirits and the State revenue from salaries and incomes.

The Secretary of State for Finance (M. Maurice Petsche) "said these would represent a £7,000,000 cut in the taxation programme. The Assembley will meet to give a second reading to a Bill postponing the local departmental elections and to discuss a Bill depriving the French police of the ; right to strike. The Government has published two decrees reducing by 10 per cent, the number of employees in the national electricity undertaking and by eight per cent, the administrative staffs of the nationalised collieries. These cuts are part of the Government’s new economy programme.