CLEVER OR TRICKY.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 87, 13 April 1927, Page 7

CLEVER OR TRICKY.

Labour Members Terse Criticisms. SOME RESULTS. (Received 10 a.m.) LONDON, April I_\ Mr. Churchill's Budget speech has rereived little criticism in today's illuming papers. It is realised that with the exception of the small items, such as the highcr duties oil wines, tobacco and matches, it resolves itself into a raid upon the Load Fund and on revenue which is not normally payable until the following year. Even the Conservative ".Morning l'ost" reminds Mr. Churchill that some of his expedients will not be available again. The commonest comments are that the Budget is clever, or tricky, according to the political views of the papers. Keepers of restaurants and wine merchants think that the increase in tlie duties on wine will not alVect the consumption of claret, Burgundy, Craves and Moselle. One well-known dealer thinks that the price of port, including Australian sweet wine of a similar type, will be increased by about sixpence a bottle. The Imperial Tobacco Company announce that the price and quality of their cigarettes Will not lie changed, but that certain changes in the prices of pipe tobacco will be unavoidable. Some of the criticisms of Labour M.P.'s, which are typical of (he general Labour opinion, may be given: Commander J. M. Kemvorthy (Kim:-ston-upon-Ilull) called it '"a tlioroiiuhlv dishonest Budget. It was a raid on Peter to avoid raiding Paiii.'' Mr. G. Lansburv (Poplar) called it "very clever juggling with figures. Miss Snsan Lawrence (Last Ilam) termed it a "pirate Budget."

Mr. J. IT. Thomas (Derby) paid: "Mr. Churchill has scientifically robbed the people in a way which commands llnadmiration of everybody." Mr. J. R. dynes (Platting. Manchester) said: ''This is Mr. Churchill's line-t performance. It is an effort to male people believe that ta\es can b> rai-i-d without anybody feeling them.'' Mr. Jack Jones (West Hani) t'ie increase in the tobacco duty until.l hit the working man.