OUR FINANCES

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXXII, Issue 58, 6 May 1924, Page 8

OUR FINANCES

WHAT WILL THE SURPLUS BE? LABOR WANT PUBLIC TO KNOW '*er Press Association Christehurch, May (5. The Canterbury Labor members have si at a lengthy address to the Hon. W. F. Mass?y, in which they demand that the public should be made invar*, of the exact financial position ol the Dominion at the earliest moment. The v point nut that Mr P. SiunviJen (British Chaiicelloi of the Exchequer-* found if' possible to present, an eight hundred million Budget and to disclose the British surplus as at 31st March, but we in New Zealand «re left to speculate what the financial position. is, because in many important departments no figures have been published beyond December, and the Government Statistician is prevented from publishing the January, February, and '.March, figures until the Finance Minister chooses to declare the surplus for this *-ear. They suggest that this \?*t'Adding of these figures is a quite recent innovation end is beine done purposely because the public servants are asking foi increases, and might ]ea>-n there is plenty of money i n the Treasury. The v assert it is abundantly plain that the s-rp'us this year will be more than double that of !as< year, and will be in (the region of three millions sterling. .