The Budget.

Press, Volume L, Issue 15040, 7 August 1914, Page 8

The Budget.

The Budget which was brought down in tho House by the Hon. Mr Allen yesterday was prepared, of course, before tho Austro-ServLan quarrel developed into tho present; disastrous conflagration. As tho Minister explained in his postscript, the outbreak of war will ncoGssitato tho rovision of the Estimates of revenue and expenditure, but there is no reason why the Budget should not. be placed before the country. We deal separately with the discussion in tho House, and shall confine our attention here only to tho Budget itself. Tho duty of avoiding controversial statements is mado easy for as by tho quiet and unpolcmical tone and substance of Mr Allen's Statement, which is a simple- and interesting rocital of fact. The figures of receipts and expenditure for the year have already been made public. Some interesting particulars relative to public borrowing are given, and it should bo gratifying to everyone that thero has been a gradual tendency" towards tho reduction. of the price which, we havo , to pay for our money. The work of redeeming shortdated loans falling duo in. the current year arid providing at the same timo for ihe annual loan necessities of tho Dominion, lias mado Mr Allen's task a difficult and delicate ono. Fortunately his prudence and foresight have mitigated to. some extent the great difficulty which, the 'war has created. It is at any rate a great consolation th&tr the war has found ns

with tho national exchequer in. an ci-, ceedinsrly healthy condition and tho country prosperous and strong. Tho policy proposals with which tho Gbvcfn4 mont intends to round off its pre-elec-tion, programmo afo thoroughly pro-: gressiyo and., democratic. Although' land settlement has been vigorously; continued under tho present- Administration, it is obviously felt, that this is a field ih which vigour" cannot bo excessive, .and a- significant paragraph in Hhe Budget.announces that tho! Government ia determined to push, ahead $ml"wiU not hesitate" to stimulate tho process of settlementcither by increasing the graduated tax or otherwiso.:' The pensions law, "which tho Government has already liberalised, i* to be extended to. grant ■ relief to widows who it present suffer from the, anomalies in the present system. Tho , general consumer; is v to. ■■he protected against the operation. oF commercial trusts by means , of legislations which, .Mr Alien warns those whom it may cottcdrnj will be very drastic. Three proposals are -mado of epeeial interest to lwalgoWrning bodies. They will be enabled to tafce of ;he National Brorideni tho interests of their employees; the problem of road administration is to be taken in hand with the object of differentiating, for financial .purposes, betw.eei local 1 and national roads; and the eont system of grants from tho Public Worka Fund is .to. .b'6 entirely, altered, by' th© establishment of an'impartial arid absolutely non-political system of apportioning tbo money.' The present grave crisis. has, of course, made Cu«toma revision "itnpossiblo for, the • present, but i£ will be dealt with next, year. Everyone -who realises tho dependence of our comfort and prosperity ujkm our. agricultural industries rill welcomo tho scheme of, agricultural; banks and tho raising of a epWal large loan :for roading the backblocis and bringing them.into moro. effectivo co-oporation iii" tho work,of incroaeing tho national wealth. The Budget ia for tho moment, iowever, of less importance for its evidence of tho Government's- policy than for its proof of tho stability and prosperity of ho nation. •.'■'.'