£200,000 WITHDRAWN.
Lady Houston Offended by Government. LONDON, April 12. Lady Houston has withdrawn her renewed offer to the Government of £200,000 “ in view of the crying need for the air defence of London,” because the Prime Minister (Mr MacDonald) has not acknowledged the offer. She has sent a telegram to Mr MacDonald: “You have treated a patriotic gesture with contempt such as no other Government would have displayed toward a patriot. You have behaved flippantly, as though the offer was a personal matter, instead of involving national safety.” In April, 1933, Lady Houston offered the Government £200,000 instead of £40,000 income tax, suggesting that the extra amount should go toward the cost of an adequate defence force. The Chancellor of the Exchequer replied that it was impossible to accept gifts for expenditure on particular services, whereupon Lady Houston expressed surprise “ at the ungracious refusal of the gift.” Lady Houston was left a vast fortune by her husband, who was a wealthy shipowner. She made possible Britain’s entry in the last Schneider Trophy' contest, and also backed the recent British air expedition which flew over Mount Everest.
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TS19340419.2.9
Bibliographic details
Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20284, 19 April 1934, Page 1
Word Count
187£200,000 WITHDRAWN. Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20284, 19 April 1934, Page 1
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