N.S.W. BUDGET

Grey River Argus, 10 November 1944, Page 7

N.S.W. BUDGET

SYDNEY, November 9. The New South Wales State Budget brought down in the Legislative Assembly: by the Premier and Treasurer (Mr McKell) anticipates a surplus of a half million pounds for 1944-45, compared with an actual surplus of nearly twelve hundred thousand for 1943- The two previous financial years also gave surpluses each of more than half a million pounds. Features of the neyv Budget are' Lotteries receipts in the State lotteries last year were nearly a quarter million pounds higher than the estimate. A further increase of fifty thousand pounds is budgeted for this year. Betting: Taxes from this source yielded eighty thousand pounds more than the estimate and totalisator receipts were £130,000 higher. Further increases are anticipated for 1944- State railways surplus of more than half a million pounds is expected compared with an actual surplus of £750,000 last year. The anticipated decline of three million pounds in the railway income is attributed to reduced war traffic, coal restriction and drought. Mr McKell said the failure of the Commonwealth’s wider power’s referendum meant that heavy burdens had been thrown back on the States, although the operation of a uniform income' tax meant the State Government had little direct control over their principal revenue item. It seemed clear that if the States were to deal adequately with problems' arising out of their post-war responsibilities some revisions of Commonwealth and State financial relationships would be necessary.