THE FINANCE BILL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23205, 1 June 1937, Page 9

THE FINANCE BILL

MOTIONS FOR REJECTION ONE FROM CONSERVATIVES (British Official Wireless) RUGBY, May 29. When Mr Neville Chamberlain’s Government meets in the House of Commons on Monday the business will be the second reading of the Finance Bill, which will be moved by Sir John Simon. Two motions for the rejection of the whole Bill have been tabled. The conventional Opposition motion is in the following terms: —“ This House cannot assent to the second reading of the Bill, which in time of peace and rising prices embodies an unbalanced Budget, thereby promoting further increases in prices and depressing the already low standard of life of pensioners, unemployed, wage earners and other persons of small means, and fails to deal adequately with profiteering in armaments or to raise an equitable share of their cost from those most able to bear the burden.” The other motion has been tabled by eight back-bench Conservatives, and reads: “ This House cannot agree to the second reading of the Bill until arrangements have been made for further investigation into the effects of part 3—national defence contribution—upon trade recovery and expansion, and upon employment, and until the views of those engaged in the trades and businesses affected have been fully ascertained and reported.” The tabling of the motion followed a meeting of Conservative members of the Finance Committee, at which strong criticism of Mr Chamberlain’s amended proposals for the national defence contribution were voiced.

VIEWS OF INDUSTRIALISTS LONDON, May 31. (Received June 1, at 1 a.m.) The heads of 18 of the largest industrial concerns in Britain, including Unilevers, Dunlops and Imperial Tobacco, have sent a letter to The Times declaring that Mr Chamberlain has been little influenced by the views of the Chamber of Commerce and shipping and industrial organisations. “ The new version of the defence tax adds bewildering complexities to the original and can only operate to the detriment of the national interest.” The signatories take the astonishing step of appealing to the Opposition to persuade the Government to have the proposals re-examined. Dr Dalton (Lab.) will move rejection of the Finance Bill on behalf of the Opposition on the grounds that it means an unbalanced Budget and fails to deal adequately with nrofiteering in arms or raise an equitable share of the cost from those best able to bear the burden. EFFECT ON SHIPPING INDUSTRY LONDON, May 30. The Shipbuilding Employers’ Federation and the Shipbuilding Conference telegraphed to Mr Chamberlain expressing grave concern at the national defence contribution proposals as entirely failing to meet the position of the shipping industry, which, unless the proposals are further amended, will be subjected to serious injustice, endangering the existence of individual firms during the next depression, and impairing the ability of the industry to remain fit to meet a national emergency.