BRITISH BUDGET DEBATE.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 30 April 1926, Page 9

BRITISH BUDGET DEBATE.

Mr Churchill’s Reply. RESPONSIBILITY FOR EXPENDITURE. By Cable—Press Association —Copyright. Australian and N.Z. Cablo Asaoclatio* (Received April 29, E. 5 p.m.) LONDON, April 28. In the House of Commons, Mr Churchill in his reply, said the trend of the debate showed that the House more nearly agreed with the Budget, than was the case for the past twenty-live years. The Chancellor was not a dictator and had not the power to veto expenditure. The responsibility for that rested with Cabinet.

Referring to the betting tax, Mr Churchill sketched the harried existence in the streets of bookmakers, owing to the activities of the police. It could not be suggested that a five per cent tax would make a respectable bookmaker seek a hunted life on the streets. Bookmakers were fully entitled to pass the tax on to their clients. He would he willing to discuss methods and machinery of the tax with representatives of the bookmakers. The taxing experts had reported that it would be easy and inexpensive to collect the tax, the great balk coming from credit bookmakers. He estimated the turnover of betting at at least £170,000,000 annually. Mr Churchill said it was possible for another Parliament to repudiate the Imperial preference guarantee, hut it was a fact that stabilisation would prove a practical deterrent. Moreover he hoped that eventually these matters of imperial consolidation would cease to be pawns in party controversy, and that future Governments would have better things to do than upset the basis on which imperial commercial trade had been built up.

BUDGET PROPOSALS. FORMAL RESOLUTIONS CARRIED. 23y Cablo—Press Association —Copyrlgnt. Australian and N.J£. Cublo Association LONDON, April 28. Tho formal resolutions in connection with tho Budget were carried without a division. It is officially stated that it is the Government’s intention to incorporate the ten years’ preference in tho Finance Act, making it therefore unalterable except by another Act. The Government admits the right of Parliament to alter, amend or repeal any Act, but it is unbelievable that any succeeding Governments will dishonour their predecessors’ pledge to the Dominions if ratified by Parliament-