CHURCHILL’S BUDGET.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue 86, 13 April 1927, Page 3

CHURCHILL’S BUDGET.

DEBATE OPENS. MARK TAPLEY AND MICAWBER. (Electric Telegraph.—Copyright). (Received Thish day, 9.40 a.m.) LONDON, April 12. A Budget White Paper shows the estimated revenue in the current year as £834,830,000, expenditure £833,390,000, leaving a surplus of £1,440,000. Opening the Budget debate in the House of Commons Mr Snowden said that within the brief space of Labor’s entry into office and the presentation of the estimates a considerable reduction was effected. Despite Mr Churchill’s failure the hope of economy sprang eternally in his breast. No Chancellor had ever been a more ghastly failure at achieving anything. The abolition of three Ministries would involve probably a saving of £IO,OOO annually. The Ministers would disappear but the work of their departments would be carried on. Did anyone believe that the estimates could not be considerably increased before the end of the year? They erred on the side of optimism. Mr Snowden said he would be greatly surprised if there were not a grave industrial dislocation following the direct invitation from the Trades Union Bill. Apart from this the Chancellor was certain again to face the House with a considerable deficit. In the course of three Budgets direct taxation had been relieved to the extent of fifty million pounds, while indirect taxation had been increased fifty-five millions, thereby showing regard for those whom Mr Churchill described as “My hardpressed friends the super-taxers.” Mr Churchill was a luxury, but if the Conservatives considered the matter they would find that his scintillating entertainments in the House of Commons would not compensate for his cost to the country. His first Budget was a rich man’s, his second was that of a profligate bankrupt, and his third was a. combination of both, together with jugglery and deceit. “It is beyond me to do justice to Mr Churchill’s genius. He is a combination of Mark Tapley and Micawber.” —(Reuter).