The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1918. THE BUDGET.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 November 1918, Page 4

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1918. THE BUDGET.

It is hardly likely that the Budget brought down by the Finance Minister last night will evoke an absorbing interest, as its main features have already been more or less discounted. The fact that the year's surplus amounts to £5,085,934 is not inspiring, as the principle on which these yearly surpluses are worked out is one that has become stereotyped. At the same time it is satisfactory that the Minister has been accumulating these surpluses, so that the total investments in London now stand at nearly eighteen million. Naturally the war operations had a considerable effect on the revenue and expenditure for the past year, but it is undoubtedly creditable to the Dominion that a rev-

enue of twenty and a quarter mil-

lions has been raised without unduly pressing on the people, emphasising thereby the exceptional prosperity of the country. liad anyone beeu so rash as to predict ten years ago that New Zealand could in another decade raise its revenue from nine millions to over

twenty millions the prophecy would have been received with derision; yet not only has this fact been accomplished but the war loan moneys raised in the Domin-

ion up to September 30 last total approximately thirty-nine and a quarter millions. If we turn to the expenditure side of the account, it is found that the total disbursements amounted to sixtyfive millions, as compared with seventeen millions in 1913-14. Some conception of our prosperity is conveyed by the fact that the total payment to producers for supplies purchased by the Imperial Government amounted to over fifty-nine millions, being eight millions more than the country's war expenditure to September 30,1918. In spite of this prosperity, however, the exceptionally inflated cost of the necessaries of life is pressing severely on a large section of the community whose means are limited, and for this tlie Government must largely shoulder the Moreover, it has helped to well the national expenditure by means of war bonuses—a palliative the only point of which is that it followed the line of least resistance. The main item of increase in the revenue was from income-tax —£1,357,435, while the increase from land-tax was only £672,592, the moral being obvious. Another item connected with llie war is that of war pensions, which represented up to March 31, 3918, an annual value of £1,122,052, in reality a very moderatosum, everything considered, There are a number of items on both sides of the balance-sheet that lend themselves to criticism

as opportunity offers, but for the time being it is only possible to touch brieflv on the main features of the Budget, which, on the whole, may be regarded as reflecting the financial condition of the people of the Dominion. That the Government has succeeded in helping to win the war may en-

title it to have its sins of omission and commission regarded with exemplary charity, and it is to he hoped that the Government will be stimulate! to devote its energies to internal matters that need urgent attention, for, as we have more than once pointed out might be the case, the end .of the war having come suddenly, it has found as quite a3 unprepared for facing the ai'ter-war problems as we were to face the war when it burst upon the civilised world. As a consequence, Ave shall doubtless have hasty and ill-considered measures drought before the House, probably passed full of faults and continually needing amendments Some of these measures are mentioned in the Budget, but it is obvious that the pernicious system of legislating by Oi'der-in-Council must enter largely into the work of legislation, thus depriving Parliament of its pioper functions. In the various proposals set forth in the Budget there is very little calling for comment. The establishment of a Post Office Savings Bank reserve ! fund is .a step that should have been taken long since, and will certainly trad to create even greater confidence in that venture. In this connection it is satisfactory to note that the excess of deposits over withdrawals for last year amounted to £2,654,360. It will be noticed that the Government only proposes to provide £150,000 for hydro-electric development, and it is manifest that such a sum is indicative of merely preliminary work being entered upon, so that the power proposed to be conferred on local bodies for this purpose should be supplemented by adequate Government subsidies. The carrying-out of this work is of far greater important than afforestation, for which it is proposed to borrow £200,000. In fact, a true estimate of the relative value of these two activities would {rive at least £2,000,000 for hydro-ebctrie work as against the £200,000 for afforestation. With regard to tie vote. p£.£3oo r

000 for scliool buildings, etc., members will fail in their duty if tliey do not insist that the vote be largely increased. Particular' stress has rightly been placed on the provision of adequate educational facilities, and it is admitted that the present buildings, with very few exceptions, are nothing less than a menace to the health o? the children and of our future citizens. It is no use nibbling at the question. The time has arrived when it must be faced boldly and determinedly, instead of in the cheese-paring manner of the past. While it is only right that provision should be made to meet the expenditure necessitated by the influenza epidemic, steps should be taken to strike at the root of infectious diseases by compelling insanitary conditions to be swept away, and this can only be achieved by the erection of sanitary dwelliags provided with proper drainage, and having sufficient air space to ensure habitable conditions. Once more a public works loan appears on the estimates—a modest two and a half millions, presumably intended to provide work for returned soldiers. The contents of the Budget are naturally extensi /e, so that no apology is necessary for postponing comment thereon until future issues. Meanwhile, it may be taken for granted that considerable discussion will talie place in Parliament, and it is to be hoped that it will be of a hslp'ful, rather than destructive, nature.