Second Edition. Great Britain

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 2, 5 April 1916, Page 6

Second Edition. Great Britain

MEN'MUST WAR, AND WOMEN MUST WORK. | United Press Association.! (Received 11.15 a.m.) - 1 * London,'April 4. ; -,f In reply to questions in the House v of Commons, Mr Addison stated that 195.000 women were employed in the munition factories. Sir Walter Long estimated taat 275.000 had replaced men in industrial occupations.

THE IMPERIAL BUDGET. MOUNTAINS OF FINANCE. (Received 12.15 p.m.) London, Apr it 4. In the House of Commons, in the delivery of the Budget, Mr McKenna said the shortage in tonnage had had a considerable effect upon, the revenue, and a similar effect had followed prohibition of certain imports. He assumed that the war would last through the whole financial year. The actual expenditure of last year was 559 millions, or thirty-one millions loss than the estftnate. The actual net issues io the Allies amounted to 264 millions, and to the Dominions fifty-two millions. In the latter case, the amount was sixteen millions less than estimated, having' been rebuilt, due to the public spirit of the OVersea Governments, for which the Imperial Government owed them thanks—(Cheers). V: Making all allowances 'for certain facts,-the total financial assistance to the Allies was 313 millions. In pursuance of the scheme for the purchase of American securities, they had bought a considerable amount of the funds, and by the . re-sale built up a large reserve to meet future needs. " The purchase money included last expenditure, and the proceeds "destitute an asset in America, 'o begin the current year. A revenue for tbo year was , ,000, ..being, an increase of '£31,753.000 above the estimate.. The expenditure was £1,559,000,000. and the deficit would be met by borrowing six hundred millions by the war loan, £154,000.000 by the sale of Exchequer bond,s, fifty million by the Anglo-French-American loan, and the balance by the sale of treasury bills. The maximum income-tax would be 'five shillings, for incomes of £SOO to £IOOO, half-a-crown, and below' £SOO, two shillings and three-pence.

WAR INDEBTEDNESS 2KO MIL LIONS. < i FIVE MILLIONS DAILY. ECONOMIES URGED. RAISING THE WIND. (Received 12.55 p.m.) London, April 4. Mr: McKenna, continuing his. Budget speech, said; Our total war indebtedness is two thousand one hundred and. forty millions, of which three hundred and sixty-eight millions had been advanced by the Allies to,the Dominions. Relief will come, to us in the future as regards these items, but we are - responsible now and have to bear • the whole dead weight of the additions that have been made. Our taxation is fully assurpd to the national creditors, as the capital and interest are secure. There will be the inevitable increase of expenditure in the coming year. The war services have accounted for 1120 millions, and there will be an additional thirty millions in miscellaneous expenditure, bringing up the war expenditure to over three million daily. The advance to the Allies and Dominions will, be placed at £450,000.000 for the consolidated services, including interest. J A debit of £137,700,000 with the other services brought up the total to £1,825,000,000, which amounted to almost exactly live millions daily. Air McKenna said he would be. disappointed if , serious, economies were not effected during the year, and the large total reduced. He thanked His Majesty the King for his kindly gift to the war, and on Air Asquith’s return he would decide how it would be spent. Mr McKenna estimated that the revenue for the year would be £509,000,000, of which permanent taxation would account for about £-123,000,000, leaving a deficit of £1,323,000 000. Tn addition, also, they would have to meet the new charge for interest and sinking fund, which was calculated at seventy-nine millions. Regarding the new taxes, he said the object would be to get revenue to meet, the obligations, and pay as large a proportion of the.war cost as possible. and distribute the faulty burden of taxation. Therefore, it was proposed to impose taxes to bring in £509,000,000. There would be a small increase, in the income-tax on small incomes vising to a maximum of .five shillings. Earned incomes up to £SOO would pay two shillings and threepence. and incomes of £SOO to. £IOOO half a crown, in successive stages to . five Shillings. The new scale on unlearned incomes would commence at three shillings on incomes not exceed-

mg £300; and rising.in sixpenny stages to five shillings on incomes*, exceeding £2OOO. It was estimated that the increases would produce £‘3 -00.000. The super tax would be nncJUinged. Dealing with the double inc' nm-tax. Mr McKenna said it would.have to be dealt with in the promised reccnstrnction of the income-tax laws. For the present, where the Dominions..tax was

not less than eighteen pence, they would not impose any fresh burden. A voice; “What does that mean?” Mr McKenna: It means that whatever they- suffer they will continue to ' suffer hut they will not suffer any ! more additional tax. This would not I apply to the naval and military Inices, j The new customs and excise taxes were I estimated to bring in £21.800,000. There would be a tax on a inurement tickets, including football and horseracing, rising from one hall-penny to a shilling according to the cost of a seat up to twelve shillings and sixpence, with an additional shilling lor seats above that amount. This was } estimated to realise five millions. Ihey , would also impose a tax on railway tickets, yielding three millions. LORD DERBY’S SCHEME. PROTEST FROM THE MARRIEDS. (Received 12.10 p.m.) Loudon, April 4. Delegates from the Attested .'farrieds Union which was recently formed, representing seven-lift}’ thousand, interviewed Lord Derhv. and represented that the attestations of the marrieds ought to be cancelled in view of the numbers of singles not serving, and that the only remedy was general compulsion. The remarkable disclosure was made that there had been 100,000 marriages between, the dates of the national registration of August 15, and the extended date of November 2, whereafter the men marrying are regarded as unmarried for grouping purposes. Lord Derby approved of the union’s help in tracing unmarried slackers, and agreed that compulsion was essential in the national interests. The Union, passed a resolution demanding Lord Derby’s resignation in the event of the Government failing to legislate. The King gave audience to Lord Derbv.

TREATMENT OF THE “ANZACS.” MOVEMENTS OF CONVALESCENTS (Received 10.50 a.m.) London. April 4. The recovery of wounded Australian and New Zealanders has been accelerated by the milder weather, with the result that the number remaining in hospitals is greatly reduced. Recently, there were five hundred at Harefield, but now there are two hundred. Many who are permanently unfit are returning home. The training depots are filling. When the Anzacs resume lighting, possibly the drafts of wounded will not be brought to England, but be taken to hospitals in the south of France. It is understood that the British medical authorities favor this course, so as to leave'the English hospitals solely at the disposal of the British wounded. The Australian and New Zealand medical officers are inclined to consider that the treatment ot the Anzacs in England during the summer is more beneficial than elsewhere.

MISCELLANECUS ITEMS, London, April 4. The Hon. and Rev. Edward Lyttelton, headmaster of Bolton College, has resigned. Though Brandon (the New Zealander) is being universally paid the tribute it is not yet clear whether he waf responsible for the downfall of the Zeppelin. < The prisoners are reticent to declare how it was downed. An aeronautical expert has offered to refloat and rebuild the Zeppelin within three mouths. Three petrol tanks riddled with bullets were found in a field, and are probably from the crippled Zeppelin. Official.—An accidental (ire in frpowder factory in Kent resulted in a series of explosions, at the works, and the approximate casualties are said to be two hundred.