RIGOROUS CUTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 122, 25 May 1932, Page 7

RIGOROUS CUTS.

BRITISH ECONOMIES. £50,000,000 SAVING. War Debt Plan May Seriously Involve Dominions. SUSPENDED PAYMENTS. (United P.A. —Elcctric Telegraph—Copyright) (Received 11.30 a.m.) LONDON, May 24. The representative of the "Sydney Sun" learns that Britain is arranging to pay America, besides her former annuities, a further annual sum to make tip for the suspended Hoover year payments. This would automatically involve the Dominions in a resumption of payments. Meanwhile Britain faces an interim Budget. It is believed the Government is preparing to effect economies of at least £50,000,000. Newspapers significantly support the Conservative members of Parliament, who are urging the Government to introduce further rigorous economies. It is generally believed that the position is so serious that only such economics and increased taxation can meet the situation. The Press anticipates that before the session ends in July a strong demand for further public economy will be made, and although it is stated that the Gov-t-i'iiment supporters have no desire to embarrass the Ministers before the Lausanne and Ottawa conferences, they express the hope that a full statement of the Government's intentions to effect savings will be made.

If the moratorium is not extended, New Zealand for the current financial year will have to meet an outlay of £000,000. which, according to the Financial Statement of 1932, was included in the amount of £4,100,000 proposed to be waved the Consolidated Fund by various economies. In presenting the Financial Statement on July 30, 1931, the Prime Minister, then Minister of Finance, said some unexpected assistance would be obtained in 1931, and also in 1932 as a result of the proposal of President Hoover for one year's suspension of payments on account of reparations and inter-Governmental war debts. This proposal only directly nlTected New Zealand through the cessation of reparation payments but the British Government, with characteristic generosity, had extended it to cover war debts owed to Great Britain by the Dominions. Allowing for £85,000 of reparation moneys already received, the net saving for the 1931-32 financial year wa6 approximately £570,000.

BRITISH GENEROSITY.

DO DOMINIONS BENEFIT? (Received 12.30 p.m.) LONDON, May 24. Sir Edward Grigg, at the Empire Day luncheon at Liverpool, referring to Australia and New Zealand war debts, said that despite Britain's remission of a large proportion - of European debts she had never taken a step proportionately to reduce the Empire's war debts. "If we are generous to foreigners we should be generous to our family," he said. ATTACK OF GOUT. NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN AILING LONDON, May 24. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Neville Chamberlain, leaves to-day for Harrogate, a famous British spa, to undergo treatment for gout. He has cancelled all his public engagements for the next fortnight.

SUNDAY THEATRES.

COMMONS CONSIDERING BILL. LONDON, May 24. The text of the Sunday Entertainments Bill was issued last evening. It is supported by the Acting-Prime Minister, * Mr. Baldwin, and the AttorneyGeneral, Sir Thomas Inskip.

The measure provides that local authorities shall havo power to grant licenses for cinematograph entertainments on Sundays subject to such conditions as they may think fit.