END OF “BLEAK HOUSE”

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIV, Issue 118, 18 April 1934, Page 8

END OF “BLEAK HOUSE”

3.15 P.M. EDITION

BRIGHTER BOOK OPENED. BRITISH CHANCELLOR’S SPEECH. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) Received April 18, 12.30 p.m. LONDON, April 17. “We have finished the story of .‘Bleak House’ and are sitting down to enjoy, the first chapter of ‘Great Expectations,’ ” was Mr Neville Chamberlain’s • Dickensian preface to his IJudget speech, after which he proceeded tantalisingly to raise hopes only to defer them, but, of course, his eye was on the clock —nothing must out before the doors were shut on the Stock Exchange. But when it did come there was such a sustained surge' of “Hear, hears!” that obviously he had done something to please all parties. The full restoration of unemployed benefits, coupled with the restoration of half the Service pay cuts, set the Ministerial benches cheering. It was a telling silencer to all the Socialist clamour that the burden of the 'country’s travail had fallen on those least able to bear it. There were some “Hear, hears!” from the Opposition benches, but generally a grim suggestion of the realisation that a good trump card had “gone west” with these concessions announced. The first Budget announcement appears on page 7.