Meantime, the Government _exenditare goes up. More and bigger doles, and more pensions to the tune of £20,000,000 in 1990-31 are worrying Mr. Snowden, but apparently the Treasury is also to be called upon to find a substantial sum next year for slum clearance, as a Slum Clearance Bill is shortly to be presented. We are already having Budget rumours and Mr. Snowden has circularized the Goverament Departments, telling them they must save in every possible direction. It is also alleged that he is looking for new fidds of taxation, and it is rumoured that the income tax next year is to be increased. Mr. Snowden is not the only worried Minister. Unemployment again went up this week and Mr. Thomas must be wondering. how long it is going to keep on rising.
The new Highway Code, which is mentioned in the Read Traffic Bil, is now being prepared by the Ministry of 'Transport and all motorists snd pedestrians are watching for its publication. "The. remarkable part about it, however, ts that there re no penalties for' those who offend against its excellent maxims. For a Government department to issue roles without punishment: is a very umisual procedure.
Walkers, it is understood, wilt be told that they should not cross the yonds at any but authorized eroseing-places—that is, when these air
walk along country roads in direction facing the stream of approaching traffic, They will also be told that all good walkers keep to the footpath and do net roam about the streets, The code for motorists will con fésin all the unwritten Inws that have been broken so freely in the past. The motorcar driver. who [gees the wrong side of a white line will be breaking the Government code of good manners, but he cannot be prosecuted for breaking the jeode, His only danger will be that, if the new Road Traffic Bill be-joomes an Act, he might be arrested for dangerous driving quite apart fom the code. It is distinctly stated in the Bit that disobedienos to the code may not be taken in itself as an act of careless or dangerous driving.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.