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I NOTES OF THE DAY

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I NOTES OF THE DAY From oar London Correspondent. I From our LondoIJ CurreMpondent. f THE NATION'S FINANCES. A T last the Government is really a larmed about the financial situa- tion the country. The revelation that we are still spending nearly £ 4,500,000 a day staggered the nation; and Ministers themselves now realise that this wild ex- travagance cannot continue. I hear that the Cabinet is giving the matter earnest attention every day and that it has de- cided to reduce expenditure at any cost. Though tardy, this is welcome news. How much better it would have been if the Government had decided upon drastic re- trenchment before the Budget was intro- duced at the end of last April. Instead of that Mr. Churchill was allowed to pre- sent colossal estimates for the Army; his subordinate, General Secly, had the audacity to ak fcr nearly E-0,000,000 for the Air Force; and the Navy estimates— although all Britain's rival fleets have been wiped out—remain monstrously large. The countrv cannot possibly bear ftiese gigantic military burdens. Unless they are reduced ruin stares us in the face. EXAMPLE AND PRECEPT. M R. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN had to confess to the House of Com- Von-, on Thursday tha.t his Budget esti- inate6 for 1919-20 have been too san- guine. It is now certain that the revenue will be less and the expenditure much greater than he anticipated. The Chan- cellor implored ail classes to economize and to increase production. Unless more wealth is produced, and unless expendi- ture, national and individual, is ruth- lessly cut down we shall be in peril of national bankruptcy. This homily on frugality would he more effective if the oxample of the Government were as good as its precept. The nation will believe j in the Government's new professions of economy when the gigantic new depart- ments in Whitehall are scrapped; whcu the host of major. colonels, and generals tlioll quartered on the country are sent back to private life; and when the Army, the Navy and the Air Force are reduced j to a peace level. AN AUDACIOUS PHOPOSAL. I I T is an astonishing revelation of the mentality of this Government that l < in the present state of the national f finances it actually submitted this week to the House of Commons a Bill to in- crease 5 Ministerial salaries from £ 2,000 to £ 5,000 a year. There are limits to human nature, and even this compliant House rose in anger, against this auda- eiorus proposal. Passionate protebs as- sailed Mr Bonar Law from every quarter. "This is not the time to increase salaries even assuming the increases to be just; I you will do infinite harm in the country by persevering this Bill; people will point the finger of scorn at the Govern- ment and its supporters whenever they preach economy if this measure is car- ried" ;—such were the arguments, and there were many more. that were em- ployed against this ill-advised proposal. Mr. Bonar Lav. pleaded in vain for what he called a fair judgment of the Bill. The House remained ilnreconcilecj and he had to bow to the storm by a promise that after the .second reading the Bill I would be held over until the autumn session. This is only a convenient, method of shelving it altogether. I predict that the Bill will remain indefintely on the shelf. What possessed the Government to bring it forward at a time like the pre- gent passes the wit of man. PRIME MINISTER'S SPEECH. T HE Prime -Minister's speech in pro- posing the votes of thanks to the Navy, Arm? and ,<1. f.rrccs tot tneJr ser- -rices during the war did not match the great occasion. v and again it was eloquent; from time to time it was, warmed with a flnsh of genuina emotion; but the speech as a -vhole lacked distinc- tion; there was r,, fineness of thought in it; no nobility of cf-timent; no mar- moreal phrase. In v;* homage to the heroic dead, Mr. T.l^yd George touched a chord of emotion to which the whole House vibrated in sy-mpa hy. Poor Bonar Law, thinking do-hf-Vcs his two gal- i lant sons—one hjliod in Palestine, the J other in Flanders-~p.»ld hardly restrain • his emotion; and other fathers j whom the war hiP- rohV-d of wha.t was dearer to them iL n V, "listened with bowed head, or te* r "-tamed face, or with face concealed by hands. It was a. I poignant moment "roiyrht vividly to j mind what terrib!- nf .res the war has > exacted from rs. ^nd jrrant that the sacrifices have not ■ n in vain

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