BUDGET OPPOSED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20570, 22 May 1930, Page 11

BUDGET OPPOSED.

DEBATE IN COMMONS.

BURDEN ON INDUSTRY.;

COST OF SOCIAL SERVICES.

AMENDMENT DEFEATED.

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright

(Received May 21, 5.5 p.m.)

British Wireless. RUGBY, May 20. Sir Robert Home, Conservative member for Hillhead, Glasgow, a former Chancellor of the Exchequer, moved in the House of Commons to-day the rejection of a motion for the second reading of the Finance Bill. He said that owing to the heavy additional taxation under the Budget industry was faced with increased difficulties' in competing successfully in llio world's markets.

In social services Britain had gone twico as far as any other country, and by increasing that expenditure, for which revenue could only come from already overburdened industry, tho existence of the social services themselves were threatened.

Sir Herbert Samuel, Liberal member for Darwin, Lancashire, supported the bill. He recalled that tho burden of rate relief left by tho lain Conservative Government's Federation Bill was very heavy. It had been estimated at .£24,000,000 by Mr. Neville Chamberlain, formerly Minister of Health. Tho present Chancellor was determined in this way to meet his obligations. Perhaps he was doing nioro. If there were the smallest improvement in trado the Budget was likely to yield a surplus next year and perhaps a considerable surplus in tho year after that. It was a tribute to British democracy that tho Labour Government had not yielded to tho temptation to put aside its obligations in regard to debts. It was a grim Budget, but Sir Samuel said he thought it was not an unjust one. Mr. F. W. Pelhick-Lawrence, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, said the large size of tho Budget was mainly due to the aftermath of tho war.

After a lengthy debate tho amendment was defeated by 282 votes to 206 and tho bill was rend a second time.