FEW WILL MURMUR.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume V, Issue 1309, 24 April 1918, Page 5

FEW WILL MURMUR.

TAX-PAYING A WAR TEST. Australian tti.tl .V_Z. CaUe .4 ....rtufi-.ri. ißec. April 24, «.45> LONDON. April M. Although Mr Bonar Law has not estimated the yield of the luxury tax, it is expected to vield about t'25,000,000. Mr Bonar Law announced that the income tax allowance for a wife | was the same as for children. The public has received the stupendous budget with remarkable sang-froid, realising that tax-paying will be one of the supreme tests of endurance. The new taxes of £114,000,000 alone amount to GO per cent. ef the total taxation in the last year before the war, bot few are likely to murmur. The Chancellor anticipates that he will' receive £842,000,000 this financial year, but will eventually reach the enormous figure of £900,000,000. when the taxes on incomes, excess profits, etc., attain their full effect three years hence. Last year's revenue was actually £707,235,000. An especially satisfactory feature was that every head of revenue showed an excess over the estimate. The excess profits duty realised £220,000,000. being £20,000,000 above the estimate. NO DETAILS. ADVANCES TO DOMINIONS. Auttralian oixf S.Z. Cable At—riatitn. (Rec. April 24, 9.5. LONDON, April JUL The Budget, necessarily, has not revealed the details of the estimated expenditure for the current year, but it is expected that the army, navy, munitions and aviation will together absorb £1,961,000,000. Mr Bonar Law anticipates that the advances to the Dominions will not exceed £50,000,000 this year. He was warmly cheered on remarking on the smallness of this item, and adding that it had been small throughout the war, showing that all the Dominions endeavoured to meet their own war expenditure out of their own resources. ATTACKS PREPARING. SMALL LOCAL ACTIONS. ARTILLERY BUSY. (A. A N.Z. A Reuter) LONDON, April 24. SiF Douglas Haig reports:—We repulsed raids in the neighbourhood of Hamel, also south of La Bassee Canal, and opposite Cambrai. The enemy captured an advanced post north-west of Festuberl, which had already changed hands several times. We advanced our line slightly in the neighbourhood of Robecq. Our artillery engaged hostile infantry assembling in this neighbourhood. FIERCE FIGHTING. (A. * N.Z.) LONDON, April 22. Mr Philip Gibbs writes:—The enemy is doubtless now engaged in putting his available forces into position for immediate action. He is threatening all along* the line from Ypres to the Somme. After a violent bombardment last night north of Aveluy Wood, on the Ancre, the enemy advanced. Fierce fighting ensued in the darkness, but we were ready. ENEMY^LOSSES. A GERMAN ESTIMATE. (A. A NX) LONDON. April 22. A German military expert, Herr Bleihtren, estimates the German casualties up to Januarv 31 at 4,456,000, of which 2,970,000 were suffered in the West. IA message published yesterday stated:— A United Press message from Paris iipatti that German writers estimate the German casualties, naval and military, at five millions between August, HI 4, and 1917. The West front accounted for 2,634,962 casualties, and the East front during the aaaaa period for 1,481,55*.] JAPANESE^TROOPS. CANNOT GO TO FRANCE. i United i NEW YORK. April 22. Interviewed at a Pacific port, Viscount Ishii, the new Japanese Ambassador to the United States, said that the sending of a Japanese army to France was impracticable on account of the difference in climate, food, and language. GUATEMALA. BREAK WITH GERMANY. (A. A NJL) NEW YORK, April 22. The Guatemala National Assembly has declared a state of war against Germany, and all other enemies of the United States.