INCREASED TAXES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19622, 4 May 1938, Page 5

INCREASED TAXES

NEW DECREE IN FRANCE BIG BILL FOR DEFENCE STRENGTHENING SERVICES CONTROL OF ALIENS (Elec. Tel. Convrlßht —United Press Assn.) (Reed. May 4, noon.) PARIS, May 3. The first batch of decree laws promulgated by the Premier of France, M|. Daladier, provide for a uniform increase of 8 per cent Th direct and indirect Jaxes; also a special super tax on'pTofits from war industries and an increase of 2d a gallon on petrol. The national defence loan is to be issued later.

A decree provides for the appro-1 priation of £29,450,000 for an excep- • tional armaments programme, including £14,000,000 for the air defences, £(1,500,000 for the navy, and £4,000,000 for the army. The decree authorises the start of construction before December 31, 1939, of two battleships, one cruiser and seven submarines, besides fast coastal patrol ship's and auxiliary vessels totalling 22,000 tons. All these vessels are additional to previous authorisations. The decree further authorises the expenditure of £31,250,000 between the years 1938 to 1942 for naval building and supplies and also increasing the naval personnel from 09,500 to 72,500, increasing the air force strength from 44,000 to 52,500,' and increasing the colonial forces. Other decrees provide for stricter control of aliens, the price of foreigners' identity cards being raised by 30 per cent".