POLITICAL NOTES

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 23, 27 July 1914, Page 8

POLITICAL NOTES

BUDGET NEXT WEEK. . The Budget will be brought down tomorrow week, arid its appearance is being '• awaited , with considerable interest, especially in view of the fact that the borrowing proposals of the Government may reasonably be expected; to be particularly heavy. Loan renewals amount to about four and a half millions, the new General Manager of Railways will, it is expected, advise that to enable him to operate the railways profitably he must be provided'with a large sum for capital expenditure on railway stations and rolling stock, and in addition the new activities proposed by the Government in connection with developmental works will require the raising of very considerable sums. LICENSING BILL. The Licensing Act Amendment Bill, reducing the majority required to carry Dominion No-license from 60 to 55 per cent., will come up for its committee stage to-morrow. An interesting debate is anticipated., but at the present time it is quit© impossible to gain any definite idea as to how the voting will go. Indications are, however, that the measure will be passed out on the first division, though by a small majority. KEFERENDUM BTLL. The suggestion that has been made that the Religious Instruction in Schools Referendum Bill may be blocked by the taking of evidence before the Education Committee is not agreed to by friends of the Bill. Every effort will be made by the committee to keep the evidence as short as possible, consistent with the desires of both sides to the controversy, but it is stated that before the session closes the House will be afforded an opportunity of definitely expressing its views on the subject. >