The deficit of approximately £5,500,- 000 on last year's British Budget, will, when compared with the huge sums which Britain has been called pon fo find for rearmament, cause no particular heartburnings. Apart from that, and the fact that £18,127, 000 went' In debt redemption, the current revenue for the year exceed expenditure by £7,590,000. Ex-Penditure for defence "wont up by £7,821,000, and was 249,000,000 above that of the previous year. The: floating debt was lower by 294,600,000 than it was In 1035. It is apparent, therefore, that the' finances of the: British Isles are in a particularly healthy condition, and that the extra burden which it is expected the income-tax payer will have to carry arises from no reckless extravagance, Jbut from the necessity of keeping: Pace with the huge military and ity naval programmes of other Powers. For these reasons the Budget Speech, which Mr, Neville Chamberlain is expected to make at the end of this month will be awaited with considerable interest. Throughout his tenure of office he has proved himself to be a wise and cautious Chan-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.