THE BUDGET.

Auckland Star, Volume XL, Issue 271, 13 November 1909, Page 5

THE BUDGET.

(By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) MR. MASSEiY AND THE PREMIER. WELLINGTON, this day. Replying to the telegraphed remarks from Christchurch by Sir Joseph Ward concerning the "strictures passed by the Leader of the Opposition on certain features of the Budget, Mr. Massey remarked to your correspondent that the Prime Minister had evaded the point by asking him (Mr. Massey) to suggest some other way of raising the money, and that, said Mr. Massey, was not a question for him to answer. The point in which he (Mr. Massey) was principally concerned was this, that if we had had capable and competent men at the head of affairs this difficulty would never have arisen, and it would not have been necessary to increase taxation in the manner proposed in the Budget. AUCKLAND MERCHANTS' PROTEST. PRIME MINISTER'S REPLY. <By Telegraph.—Press Association.) CHRISTCHDRCH, Friday. The resolution of the Auckland Wholesale Merchants' Association was telegraphed to the Prime Minister, who replied as follows:—"Your telegram re Customs duties to hand, and I have carefully considered the representations contained therein. I much regret that I am unable to see my way to comply with the request. Your proposal is one which, in effect, would mean taxing the 'breakfast table,' and I have left all free goods out of the 1 per cent primage duty, in order to ensure the policy of those goods which are now free remaining so. For this reason I do not see my way to make a change in the direction suggested." THE INCREASED DUTY. A NAPIER PROTEST. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) NAPIER, this day. A meeting of Napier merchants wired the Premier as follows: —"Strongly urge you to reconsider the question of collecting primage on goods now in bond; will cause great trouble nnd annoyance; belip/e a procp'ipnt for exempting such goods was crested when a similar impost was made in 1833. The charge will bear unjustly on importers, who, in many instances, will be ! unable to pass on to the customer the trifling individual increased cost; consider much preferable that required amount be raised by increased duty on selected articles. If, however, you decide the tax imperative, we urge Tt should be collected on arrival of goods."