BRITISH BUDGET

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16663, 7 April 1916, Page 93

BRITISH BUDGET

PRESS COMMENTS. "ECONOMY BY COMPULSION." ■ {Times and Sydney Snn Services.) LONDON, April 5. (Received April 6, at 5.5 p.m.) The Times, in a leading article, says: "The colossal Budget figures are in one respect satisfactory; the estimate is not higher than was expepted. In the opinion lof the Government we -seem to. haive reached the limit of the scale. We have considerable doubt as to the justification for raising the income tax, but little objection can be urged to the Customs and excise levies and the tax upon amusements. We tihink the railway ticket tax is a serious mistake, and is the weakest feature of the Budget. It is a timid' avoidance of the larger problem of further import duties." The Daily Mail, in a leading article, says : " The Budget is best, summed up as ' economy by compulsion.' - Mr iu'Kenna's measures are heroic, but the public will respond cheerfully. The nation expects the Government's July Budget to impose an import tariff, to prevent the Germans from retaining a hold upon the market." (Received April 6, at 8,30 p.m.) The Evening News says': "The tariff question must be dealt with in the 1 next Budget in July. . After the Paris Trade Conference, the nation will demand a tariff to keep the German trade octopus out of Britain, as we know the overseas dominions and our allies will-keep it out. It is not a question of tariff reform, but involves the protection of, our children's children fromjthe evils we now suffer." I ' LONDON, April 6. [Received April 6, at 10.55 p.mJ The Daily News' says : " Tariff Reformers' dissatisfaction with the Budget, coupled with the compulsion issue, may result in the most difficult' situation' with which we ha/ve had to deal." The Daily Telegraph says : "The Budget is a financial mistake at the expense of the direct taxpayer. The Government had not the moral courage to distribute' taxation by * Customs duties, fearing a split upon a preferential tariff."

THE TARIFF DEBATE,

SIR GEORGE REID'S CONTRIBUi TIQN. DIFFICULTY OF GETTING JUSTICE. LONDON, April 5. (Received April. 6, at 8.30 p.m.) In the Budget debate, most of the ipeakers condemned the railway ticket tax. The debate was mainly on freetrade or tariff reform lines. •.

Sir George Reid. regretted that Mr M'Keima's speech did not contain an assurance of the removal of the double income tax. If tile dominions had not borne the expense of their own ■ troops the base of his observations would have been gone. It seemed as hard to get justice out of the Treasury as one's garments out of the teeth of a British bulldog. He hoped that when" the Empire problems were considered all theorists and fiscal maniacs would be excluded.