NATIONAL STRESS

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 106, 31 October 1931, Page 6

NATIONAL STRESS

SHARING THE BURDEN

KING LEADS THE WAY

PRINCE WORTHILY FOLLOWS

(From "Tho Post's" Representative.) LONDON, 11th September.' The King and the Prineo of Wales have set a memorable example of sacrilice in the national emergency. His Majesty commanded that the following letter bo addressed to tho Prime- Minister immediately prior to tho opening of Parliament: "My Dear Prime Minister, — "I am commanded by the King to j inform you that in tho grave financial situation with which the country is confronted His Majesty desires personally to participate in the movement for tho reduction of national expenditure. The King has decided that His Majesty's Civil List should be reduced by £50,000 whilo the emergency lasts. "When, after the war, owing to the increased cost of living and fall in the purchasing power of monoy, the Civil List settled by Parliament in 1910 was found to be quite inadequate, drastic economies were made, and therefore it is not easy to reduce the- Ciyil List further without sacrificing some of the State functions which are traditionally associated with the Monarchy, and without throwing numbers of His Majesty's servants out of worlc After careful consideration, however, the King has arrived at the conclusion that by the exercise of the most rigid economy it should be possible to reduce the Civil List by £50,000. "I am to add that the Queon and the other members of the Royal Family who are in receipt of Parliamentary grants are all desirous that reductions of these grants should be made during this time of national crisis. "Yours sincerely, "(Signed) i\ PONSONBY, "Keeperof tho Privy Purse." PRIME MINISTER'S REPLY. Mr. Ramsay Mac Donald replied:— "My Dear Sir Frederick Ponsonby,— "I have your letter of sth September, in which you tell me of His- Majesty's intention to reduce his Civil List by £50,000 during the present emergency. His Majesty's personal contributions during tho war and the difficult years that have .succeeded it are very present to the .minds of his subjects, and I venture to say.that it.will bea pro* found regret to them all that circumstances are such as to lead both His Majesty and other members of thd "Royal Family to wish to add to them yet further. • ■■ .

"But whenever His Majesty's subjects are called upon to share a heavy burden it has, if I may say so, been, characteristic of His Majesty to lead the way; and now, when'all sections must join together in common sacrifice, they will be heartened by His Majesty's oxamplo and by the knowledge that in making their own contribution a load has been given to them by tho King in person, and that His Majesty's thoughts are with them. May I, therefore,, on behalf of his subjects, ask you to tender their most sincere thanks to His Majesty for his action, and to tho other ' members of the Boyal Family." THE KING'S GIFTS. This is not tho first time King Goorge has made a big contribution to the nation's exchequer in time of stress. He made a voluntary gift of £100,000 to tho cost, of tho Great War. This, although the greatest, was only one of tho sacrifices which the King made during the war years. In October, 19.15, the ■ King. "contributed £5000 to tho British Ked Cross Society and. Order of St. John, and he made a. similar donation to the same fund "a. year lator. In November, IJUT^ho pi'esoiited £.5000, to King George's Pund, and in the previous August, on the occasion-of Their Majesties' silver wedding, the King decided that the gift from the City, of London, amounting to. £53,000,'c0u1d be devoted^ to no botter object than helping the disabled. His Majesty .personally, subscribed £25,000" of this amount. '■ ..-,"■■■

Through Sir Lionel Halsey (Comptroller and Treasurer) the Prince of "Wales informed the Prime Minister that he was anxious to do what he could to help the National Exchequer during the present emergency. Although His Koyal Highness has no grant from Parliament and derives his income solely from the revpnuos of the Duchy of Cornwall, he proposed to contribute £10,000 to the Exchequer in this time of national emergency.

Tho splendid gesturo of tho Royal Family was received with universal pleasure. .■ The • King and Queen and their, family have always given the lead to the nation in the furthoranee of some.groat.cause which the'eountry has at heart..*; . ■ , ' • . -.- . THE CIVIL LIST. The1 Civil List* of King George V. was, before the Great War, exceeded in amount by ; the revenue of-several foreign monarebs. In his message to the House .of Commons on 14th June, 1910, His Majesty stated that he placed the Hereditary JRovenues of tho Crown, as his predecessor had 'dono, .-unreservedly at tho, disposal"'of the House of Commons. Tho Civil List Act, 1910, was passed in recognition of tho fact that these'revenues belong to the Crown. It is directed, therefore, that the Hereditary Revenues, specified in the Civil List Act of 1837 (which were then declarod to be duo and payable to Her Majesty Queen Victoria) shall be carried to the credit of the Consolidated Fund, and. that tho clear yoarly sum of £470>000-shall be paid out of it as a provision. for tho honour and dignity of tho-Crown. The mannor in which-the Koyal income is to be applied is strictly deiyuod thus: — ■ ■. ■ .' ' - ' £ TUoir Majesties' Privy I'urse 110,000 Salaries of H.M. Household and Kctlrod Allowances ..• .*..;... 120,800 Kxpenses oC U.M. Household 193,000 Works1 (cost of external works to the Palaces to bo bbrno on Votes of .Parliament) !.. 20,000 Iloyiil Bounty, Alms and .Special Services 13,200 Unappropriated moneys 8,000 £ 170,001) His Majesty also enjoys, tho revenue arising from tho Duchy of Lancaster estates, amounting in 19^S to £08,000. The above arrangement lasts during the .present reign and for six months nfterwards. It is not unfavourabJo to tho natiou, since the Crown estates havo produced an annual rontal almost equal to, and sometimes greater than, tho amount of the Civil List. ABOVE POLITICS.