POWERS DEMANDED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 April 1938, Page 7

POWERS DEMANDED

M. BLUM’S FINANCIAL PROPOSALS URGENT NfeED FOR STABILITY EMPHASISED. SITUATION MADE DIFFICULT BY STRIKES. By Telegraph—Press Association, Copyright. LONDON, April 6. The financial proposals of the French Prime Minister, M. Blum, include a capital levy, increased taxes on big incomes, revaluation of the Bank of France’s gold reserves, centralisation of all foreign exchange dealings in the Bank of France, suspension of debt redemption for two years, and super tax on armament profits. M. Blum also seeks dictatorial powers until July 1. The Paris correspondent of “The Times” says a deadlock in the negotiations to settle the Citroen and other strikes led to the workers occupying six other motor, aeroplane and metallurgteal factories, bringing the number of stay-in strikers to more than 40,000. Nine thousand Parisian taxi-drivers have called a six-hour strike for today as a protest against the employers’ demand for increased fares. The extension of labour unrest has made worse the situation of the Government in the Chamber of Deputies, despite a speech lasting two hours and a half by M. Blum, in which he emphasised the urgent need for financial stability. He said the Treasury would need £6,000,000 a week until the. end of the year. “A great country cannot drag on like a petty trader on the rocks,” he said, “but must live and arm itself, although determined to avert war.”

A message from Paris on March 24 stated that 15,000 workers were staging a stay-in strike in five Citroen factories as a protest against the slowness of the employers in renewing collective contracts. 1c was feared that the unrest would spread to the metal and aircraft factories, partly owing to trade union disappointment at the continued ban on the export of arms to Spain. M. Aauriol, Minister without portfolio, asked M. Jouhaux, secretary-general of the Confederation of Labour, to intervene, as the strikes would threaten the rearmament programme. FINANCE BILL. PASSED BY THE CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES. (Recd This Day, 10.5 a.m.) PARIS, April 6. The Chamber of Deputies passed the Finance Bill by 310 votes to 250. LACK OF UNANIMITY. PROJECTED TAXI HOLD-UP FAILS. (Reed This Day, 10.5 a.m.) PARIS, April 6. A taxi-drivers strike, which has been called for today, failed owing to lack of unanimity.