Our Financial position.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 182, 30 July 1901, Page 3

Our Financial position.

WsiiUSflToN, July 26. The Government got another Imprest Siijiply Bill through the House to-day. The amount waa for £170,000. This, added to a similar amount passed earlier in the session, brings up the total to the very large sum of £940,000-aa mcreaoe over what was granted for a similar period last 3883100. The souipwhat '6Kfcro>rdinary difference lias cftuasd a good deal of comment, and Captain Russell to-night wished to know from Mr Seddoa why the Government wanted £940.000 this year as ag&inst £750,000 last year. The Premier explained that whon one increased his expenditure he had to increase his imprest supply. This drew a laugh from the Opposition, and i.x Pirani remarked. that it was " as clear as mud/'" The Opposition, however, I failed to get any satisfactory' ©xplanai tiou.

The-.general opinion is that tne'wO vernment bai been " fivJY-tunnmg tb constable," and that it ha« got inti another tight corner with ita fiunneo indeed. Mr Sed ion's own rfmiarka seamer to point in this direction, for when a*!;cc when the Financial Statement would be delivered bo promised it tho week after next. He paid there was no reason tc keep it back, on .the contrary there good rtwen for bringing it down early in the session. At their present rate of expenditure, he added, they would have to ba more careful in the ways end means of meeting it, hence his anxiety to get the assistance of hon. rnambero opposite to see how they could meet it. Mr Heddon evidently mmt borrow very considerably this year, but it .'ssoms doubtful H he can go to the London market for his money. In this dilemma an incre&se of taxation is quite on tha cards, aud it eosme pretty eertaiu that the present intention of the Government in to endeavour tc raise more money from the gnuW'-d land tax. Thi'i may not bo dor-e-by the antonnt of ti.e tar, but more probably reducing the exemption from £SOOO so £!lfif!f!.—PrCßi?.