WILL BECOME LAW

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 11736, 25 January 1924, Page 9

WILL BECOME LAW

POINCARE’S MEASURES NO REPARATIONS FROM RUHR CONTEMPLATED. ELECTORS DISILLUSIONED. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. LONDON, January 22. The Parie correspondent of “The Times” says that there is every reason to believe that the bills which the French Government is submitting, probably on Thursday, to deal with the financial crisis, will become law. Their gassage through the Chamber and the enate, however, will not be smooth. It is realised that M. Poincare’s foreign policy is unassailable. Therefore, the sudden development of the financial crisis, bringing; internal policy to the forefront, is hailed by the opponents of the Government as a providential intervention, from which they hope to derive much profit. GOVERNMENT BLAMED. The people of France, while ready to adjnit the necessity for the Government’s proposals, and prepared to steel their nerves to make the necessary sacrifices, naturally blame the Government for allowing the oountry to drift into the present dilemma. Tiler persuaded themselves that from the Ruhr oooupation much profit would flow into the National Treasury; they are now told that the Government never contemplated obtaining reparations from the Ruhr, which was only seized ae a pledge of eventual payment. Thus the French elector is disillusioned, hut in no way comforted. He is faced with an immediate prospect of a 20 per cent, increase in all direct taxation. CURTAILING EXPENDITURE. The determination of the Government- to reject all measures involving public expenditure not balanoed by corresponding taxation, is bound to be severely criticised. Protests are particularly vehement regarding the decision not to proceed with bills for the revision of pension® and social insurance, already far advanced. The Government will also have to resisrt a flank attack by the full weight -of the Socialists on the proposal to surrender the match monopoly, which it has held since 1890.