THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, JULY 28, 1930. THE BUDGET AND AFTER.

Wairarapa Age, 28 July 1930, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, JULY 28, 1930. THE BUDGET AND AFTER.

Even at the most immediate view, the Budget submitted "by the Hon. G. W. Forbes on Friday has gone far to destroy any element of stability the political situatipn might previously have been said to possess. It is true that the just resentment' awakened in the minds of members of virtually all sections of the community by the Government’s extravagant and profligate financial programme may be rather elow in finding its ultimate political expression, but it seems possible that the Government is attempting to force on the parties in Opposition more than they are prepared to swallow. It is already suggested, for instance, that the Reform and Labour parties may agree in opposing the increase of threepence per gallon in the petrol tax. The general disposition hitherto has been to give the Government a chance to do its best rather than plunge the country, in these somewhat critical days, into the turmoil of an election. At best, however, this was a choice of evils and there is now a good deal to be said for the view that the greater evil of the two woujd be to let the Government stay in office and carry out the progamme it has laid down. In a number of respects, this programme invites the severest condemnation. The huge volume of new and increased taxation to which Mr. Forbes and his colleagues are cbmmit ted is not only burdensome and likely to result in a great deal of hardship, but in various particulars runs directly counter to principles of justice and equity. The proposal to rob the Highways Fund of revenue amounting to £316,000 a year/ a.nd also of a free loan of . £200,000 a. year, is simply astounding. It is a direct violation of honourable engagements. Then again, ’

as the chairman of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce has pointed out, the so-called savings listed by the Prime Minister are more apparent than real, since a number of the items are of a non-recurring nature. Some of these items, indeed, are mere postponements which will add to the difficulty of squaring the finances next year or a little later. Moreover, the Prime Minister's alleged economies include the proceeds of the proposed piiratical raid on the Highways Fund. It is fairly obvious that the Government, if it is allowed to carry on, will proceed from one muddle to another and run the country deeper into difficulties. The reckless stupidity of the United policy is nowhere more apparent than in the case of the unemployment proposals, which undoubtedly can lead to nothing else than the raising of a huge amount of money to be frittered away. All in all, the outlook has changed woefully since the country was dazzled, less than two years ago, with the promise of seventy millions of cheap money. Certainly it would noit be very long, at the present rate of going, before an additional seventy millions was dragged out of the pockets of the people, but that is not what was promised at election time. The one poor hope left to the United Government seems to be that it may be allowed to remain in office for a time because other people are anything but anxious to undertake the task of clearing up the deplorable state of Inuddle and- confusion to which it has reduced the national finances.