WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 110, 22 April 1936, Page 7

WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN

Chancellor Wanly Confesses Disappointment DOWN ON TAX EVASION (Received 22, 1.40 p.m.) LONDON, April 21. The dominant note in the Budget was what might have been but for the international clouds. It was apparent from earlier references to the necessity for sacrifice that something unpleasant was coming, but the raising of the income-tax and tea duty surprised the House.

Mr. Chamberlain wandy confessed his disappointment that rearmament had torpedoed his hope of celebrating his fifth successive Budget by a substantial remission of taxation. The liveliest part of his speech consisted of his reference to legislation armed at belatedly overcoming “ evasion. Mr. Chamberlain dropped icy, detachment in tho enjoyable pro pect of stamping out legal but costly evasions, and delighted the House when ho read a circular from a tax consultant explaining methods of evasions, and offering a cheque of half a guinea to each client who passed on another; also a circular which "confidently” offered to demonstrate other evasions in return for the taking out of an insurance policy with a certain company. Mr. Chamberlain cynically remarked that not all who settled educational trust money upon children did so for the purpose of evading the tax. Some scrupled to employ these methods—because they did not know them. Mr. Chamberlain’s only reference to tho Dominions was the claim that the GoGvernment’s cheap-money policy has passed on benefits to them.