BRITISH BUDGET

Hokitika Guardian, 11 September 1931, Page 5

BRITISH BUDGET

SCHOOL TEACHERS BADLY HIT. (United Press Association.—By Electric Teiugrupu.—(Jopynglu,.; LONDON, September 9. Cabinet’s nueung tuis morning gave the fi..al con.iideiat.oii tiio proposals. In tile House yesterday, Mr Baldwin moved resolutions proviuing ior tue <jro-vermneut' J 10. taae aii t.ie time 01 tbe House - tor the iest of tne session, and for the disposal of the nee.-s.jUJ y iiudget resolutions in committee ot ways and means by midmgut to-mor-row. Mr Lees Smith, the former Minister of Education, opposed the lesolinions, 'which were car. led, hist by 308 votes to 215, and tne second without a division. buring the debate yesterday, the Prime Minister mentioned that he was foregoing £IOOO to his £SOOO yearly salary. He said: “I appeal to the nation, to all classes and conditions, to go cheerfully with the Government over the hard broken road along which our security, our honour and our wellbeing are to be found. The burdens, which we ask each ohe to bear, will mot be \inequitable. This is not a- pernicious attack on the standard elf living. If is the ranging fif all in thfe common contribution to Uphold the credit upon which tile lives and income of every citizen depend.” He added that jt was the duty of the Government to remain until the crisis was over, and the v'orld was convinced once more that sterling was unassailable. Mr Baldwin declared: “We are going to see the matter"through. We are going to give the Prime Minister our full wholehearted support to achieve the object for which the Government was created.” He believed that an industrial revival could best be achieved by means of tariffs. Mr Winston Churchill, whose views on protection had not previously coincided with those of the Conservative Party, also declared his belief that a tariff was essential for an industrial revival.

Mr H. Samuel (Liberal), who coni eluded the debate for the Government, L declared that when the whole situaI tion was revealed by th e Chancellor of . the Exchequer, and also the equitable measures which the Government proposed to meet the situation, he felt there would not- be uncompromising and bitter opposition which had been threatened in certain quarters, but if such opposition did prevail, the Government would in accordance with its duty, be prepared to meet it. SNOWDEN’ PROPOSALS. i (LONDON, September 10. f The Chancellor of the Exchequer, ' -'Air Philip Snowden, rises to deliver bis emergency “axo and a budget” at 3.80 p.m. to-day. Ho will speak for .one hour, iJtm The Budget resolutions must be car■Wibd the same night. An ” opportunity for a full debate will be given next week.

TEACHERS’ PAY CUT. LONDON, September 10. The “Daily Herald” says: If, as contemplated, there is a fifteen per cent, cut made in the teachers’ sal—aries, there will he sixty thousand of the teachers throughout the country on a salary below three pounds a week. THE UNEMPLOYED. TO BE THROWN BACK ON THE 'KATES. LONDON, September 10. The “Daily Herald” says: “Economies will be made in the unemployed fund, in addition .to a percentage reduction of the benefits, and these will include the application of. a rigid “needs,” test to half a million people who have been unemployed for over six months. Any further relief given to theha will now: come from the rates. FREE' TRADER’S IDEA. TO STOP LUXURY IMPORTS. LONDON,, September 10. The . “Daily Express” forecasts that the biggest surprise of the debate on 'the. Budget will be a,proposal by Rt. p|. *' Hon. W. 0. Runciman (Liberal free trader) for the prohibition of luxury imports, as was done in 1016. This, it is claimed, would ease the adverse trade balance by twenty millions yearly. ADVERSE TRADE BALANCE. 1 LONDON, September 10. The “Daily Mail” says:—Sir Robert Horne estimates the adverse trade balance at seventy-five millions sterling, the prospect of which is causing grave : anxiety. | SCOTS’ DINNER FOR PREMIER, RUGBY, September 0. Arrangements are being made for a complimentary dinner of a non-political character to be given by Scots to Mr MacDonald in London on October .*? 12th., bis birthday. Many Scottish Associations in London are represented on the organising committee, which has the support of Scots eminent in literature, art. law and commerce. N Lord Elgin will preside. / Major Walter Elliott, Financial Secrotary to the Treasury, has been added to the British Delegation to.the Indian Round Table Conference, and will ho V ) a member of the Federal Structure /^yCommittee.

MR HENDERSON'S VIEWS. LONDON, September 10.‘ At the Trades Union Congress, _ Mr Henderson said his idea of equality of sacrifice differed from some of his old colleagues. He had not thought to begin with the poorest of the poor. Therefore he said let us begin at the other end. He also suggested the Conversion Loan should b'e in the very forefront of the programme. He tributed the glorious example of Australia. He was as strong a freetrader as anyone, but if faced with a large cut in unemployment payments he would support twenty pei cent, revenue tariff as an emergency expedient, wherefrom the revenue to' he assigned to unemployment. He was going to try the value of that experiment. THE BUDGET PROPOSALS. INCREASED TAXATION. (Received this day at 10,15 a.m.) LONDON, September 10. Introducing the Budget in the House of Commons, Mr Snowden confessed that it was the most disagreeable task of his life. Tins was the most vital of the after war Budgets, and was necessatated by the fact that the nation, for a considerable time, had been living beyond its means. There has been a drop of twenty million pounds in the inland revenue, and four millions in the customs excise duties.

He estimated the deficit on this year’s Budget was £74,750,000. The surtax is being increased by ten per cent, the beer tax has been raised a penny per pint, yielding four and a half millions. Tobacco is risen from 8s 10d to 9s 6d per pound, yielding two and' a half millions this year and millions next year. An additional two pence per gallon on petrol will yield four mill-ons this, and seven and a half mill ons next year. The entertainment tax is being increased by sixteen and two-thirds per cent., which will yield one million th-s, and two and one-third next year. ' From economies and taxation th s \eai he estimated the revenue at £176,200,000. giving a surplus of one and a half millions, and next year 171.) millions giving a surplus of one and a half millions.