MOTHER COUNTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 October 1919, Page 5

MOTHER COUNTRY.

FINANCIAL OUTLOOK. * NEW TAXATION ADVOCATED. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. London, Oct. 22. Mr. Asquith, at a meeting in the Central Hall, vigorously attacked the Government's lack of a settled policy. Every Minister was a law unto himself, f Referring to Russia, Mr. Asquith said i that, on behalf of the principles for which ! we fought, which professedly the Treaty i embodies, he protested against the em- s ployment of money, resources, and men 1 in the settlement of a purely domestic '■ question. ] Dealing with the question of finance, '< he demanded that the Government should < produce a new Budget. It was useless to proceed with the tinkering at sham pre- 1 ferer.ee, which, in the long run, would < only result in loss of revenue and in- f crease of prices. The country was not - bankrupt, and was not poor; new sources 1 of taxation must be discovered and uti- ' lised. The large accumulations of wealth made during war time should, in justice 1 and equity, be the primary contribu- j tors to the relief of the war debt. An expert inquiry regarding a capital levy was an absolute necessity.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. The Government is faced with increasing demands to combine heavier levies on mushroom wealth with rigid economy in expenditure. The Times says editorially that the ignoble war profiteers, enriched beyond the dreams of their selfish avarice, flaunt their shameful gains before all eyes, justly disdainful of the Premier's earlier promises to compel them to disgorge. The country 6xp6ct9 Parliament to do i its duty without slavish adherence to \ any political banner.—United Press. j , . j INCREASE IN AGRICULTURE. London, Oct. 22. ! Mr. Lloyd George, addressing repre- ' sentatives of agriculture at the Caxton Hall, urged a still greater increase in the agricultural output. The Government was determined to ptit agriculture on a satisfactory basis - toy continuing the wartime protection, enabling industrious farmers confidently to invest capital. If j Germany had pursued the British policy of neglecting agriculture it would have collapsed during the war within a year. They must not take the same chances again; they came too near to disaster financially ih 1917, under the submarine menace. During the war Britain had restored one and a quarter million acres to cultivation. Experts estimated that j a hundred and fifty millions' worth of food now imported could be produced in j Britain, thus enormously benefiting ex- , change.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. ( - i