LLOYD GEORGE'S SPEECH.

Waikato Times, Issue 12860, 6 May 1914, Page 5

LLOYD GEORGE'S SPEECH.

OVERBURDENED LOCAL BODIES. GOVERNMENT HELP. • FEEDING NEEDY CHILDREN. NATIONAL NURSING SERVICE. DOER LED .MATERNITY BENEFIT. TAXES ON THE RICH. PER PItESS ASSOCIATION. —COPYRIGHT. LONDON, May 4. ' in introducing his Budget, Mr Lloyd George (Chancellor of the Exchequer) spoke for two hours Sind a-half, After statin;/ how he proposed to raise t'iUXHl.lSOll by additional taxes, as cabled yesterday,. be said the relief of local rates averaged Pd in the {.', and in some cases Is (id. Parliament had for 40 years been imposing costly functions on local authorities .without making provision to sustain them, and in some districts where the ratable value was low municipal activity was at a standstill. Parliament practically acquiesced to the suspension of many laws because the local authorities were without means to carry them out. IMPARTIAL TAXATION. An essential part of the scheme was a. national system ol valuation file local taxation, which would he more equitable. and impartial between the classes and the localities. Such a valuation would separate the site from the improver incuts, but there was no intention of transferring the whole 1 burden to the site. Hall'-a-inillion sterling would be devoted to meals for needy school childien, pbysic.il training, and open-air schools. Hundreds and thousands of children attended school daily in a condition of semi-starvation, and the atteinpt to teach them in that condition was a mockery and a torture. Tnder the Voluntary Act 3(50.000 ehildien were relieved, hut another 2(50,000 required Help in future. 'The Exchequer would contribute half the cost of meals. 'The sum of IToO.Ollll would be spent in developing a national nursing service and local centres for diagnosis and research. TRADE PROSPECTS GOOD. ' Alter consulting the best authorities, Mr Lloyd lieorge was ol' the opinion that on the whole there will lie no serious setback to trade. It was not sate to anticipate a continual ion of the boom ol lPl.'l, hut any depression would be shallow, and would not last long. Dealing with taxation. Mr Lloyd George pointed out that direct taxation was now (id per cent, and indirect taxation 10 per cent. When the Government came into olliee each was oil per cent. 'The increases ol the income super-tax would -make a man with tIOO.OOd annually pay 2s lid in the !_'. Compared with the present Is Si, ,\ statutory declaration ol the total income would be enforced under stringent penalties, in oi der to pivven! investments-* abroad, where the income accumulated as capital. Tin l only concession announced was the doubling ol the maternity benefit under th. Ins,irai.ee Act. M r An -'.en ( haiiiherb'iii i ('bancellor in the Fnionist Adtuinist rat ion) si!'! he W mild not attel.UU to debate the complicated changes, tholleh he deprecated the raid on ilie sinking tiind. 'I he llui|s,. oi' Commons agreed to the inc -tax 11 solutions, and adiotiriied.