NEW SOUTH WALES POLITICS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 17 November 1926, Page 5

NEW SOUTH WALES POLITICS

A HEAVY DEFICIT

INCREASED TAXATION

(By Electric TelegraDh—Copyright) (Australian & N.Z. Cable Association.)

SYDNEY, ,16th Nov,

In the Assembly Mr Lang' delivered his Budget. He said, as previously published, that it resulted in .a. deficit of £1,274,303. The actual expenditure for the past financial year was £39,924,000, or £953,000 in excess of the estimate. The Public Debt proper at' the end of June last amounted to £209,493,012, or £8,090,685 more than a year earlier, and the total State indebtedness, including closer settlement debentures, amounted to £213^173,512. A deficiency of £748,884 is forecasted for 1926-27. The receipts are estimated at £42,109.990, and the expenditure at £42,858,874. ' ' ,

Mr Lang continued that the deficit would be covered by a motor tax of £350,000, to be drawn from the Main Roads Board, and by a tax on publications, which is estimated to ..produce £400,000. With this additional revenue operations for the,current financial year are .anticipated to show a surplus of £139,116. ■ " -v.

Although droughty conditions.affected the State finances to some extent- last year, seasonal prospects this year are much, brighter. Tire general prosperity of the State is excellent and a marked development is noticeable on all/ sides and the conditions of the masses., were never better. , k Mr Lang declined to state the ’nature of the proposed publications'tax.' I-,'''

PUBLICATIONS TAX

ON NEWSPAPERS AND PERIODICALS

(Received 17th Nov., 10.25 a.ip.')' SYDNEY, This’ Day

The “Herald” states that it is leal'rifed on good authority that the publications tax mentioned in Mr Lang’s Budg'd speech will take the form, of a -tax j of- g halfpenny upon every piperiodical issued in the State,, .whether'a charge is made for such paper, or not. f .STATE GOVERNOR QURSTIO'Sf ~, (Received 17th Nov., noon) ' SYDNEY, .This There is intense interest in My Lang’s next move over the State'Governor} question. A strong mOvp is afoot, supported by- public bodies arid the majority}.of newspapers, against any change without securing a mandate from' the people,': In the course of his Budget speech Mr Lang mentioned that increased Court awards and the 44-hour week last financial year cost the government £612,000.

COLONIAL OFFICE AND THE DISPUTE . 5 0,..

(Received* 17th Nov., 1.5 p.ni.).? • LONDON, 16th Nov.

The Colonial .Office has. noti.been.apprised of developments 1 regarding the New South Wales Governorship’-since Mr McTiernan disclosed the ' difference between the Ministry and the Governor, in which the Colonial Office: refused to intervene. The position remains unchanged. The demand, for Sir Dudley I)e Chair’s recall is not regarded seriously.