'The first instalment of Budget estimates) recently published is an ugly reminder that' whatever Government ig in power unanswerable excuses are found for spending more und more every year. Without defence forees—Army Navy and Air—or debt services, the estimates are already £519,402,315, which is £20,000,000 more than last year. "The Times" anticipates that the total expendi ture will exceed £1,000 millions and congratulates ils readers on this proof of the Government's confidence that no backward! trend in industry is to be feared, That of course is one point of view. The old-fashioned principle of putting something aside for a rainy day is another, now, at least in practice, entirely discredited. When the National Government came into power in 1931, its strongest appeal was economy and: reduced taxation.
But expenditure has steadily risen and taxation is higher than seven years ago. this_year's estimates one notices an addition of £6,500,000 to expenditure on roads. This is in fact, pure luxury the practical effect of which will be merely to enable motorists to save three or four minutes at various points. Very nice but not in the least necessary.
The huve expenditure by Goverament naturally sets a bad example to the munici~ polities. Every week a new loan is announced by some borough council, and then the rates go up again. The suspicion that these borrowings ave largely for luxuries is supported by experience in my little district onside London, where our borough council. a few years ago wanted to build itself grandiose town hall, We all kicked so violently that the scheme was dropped, with no damage that can be seen to the gouneil's The "Daily Telegraph" reports a division opinion in the Amateur Athletic Associa~ tion on the question of sending British athletes to the Olympic Games in Tokyo. in 1940. The Committee generally appear to) be against it, Lord Burghley, the president, for it, He is also chairman of the British Olympic Association, and is reported to have made some reassuring statement to the Japanese Embassy. Mr, Pash, vice-president of the A.A.A., will oppose granting any of the AAA, funds to send athletes to Tokyo.
"Can anyone interested in athletics or otherwise Imagine British athletes taking part in the Olympic Games if they are held In Tokyo, in view of the nature of attacks made on Chinese people by Japan," says Mr. Pash, "I am strongly of opinion' that little financial support could be obtained from Great Britain for sending teams to, Toky:
From ull that one has heard this seems the attitude of other countries too 'A ood dear of amusement has been caused by Mr, Justice Humphreys' non-judicial ac~ tivities at the Winchester Assizes which for some reason have had to be held this year in the hall of the Castle, Some. readers may remember it, a vast droughty" stone-walled, stone-paved place, eloquent testimony to the hardihood of our ancestors. The Judge com= plained that his hands were s0, cold that he could hardly write and threatened to remove the Assizes to Southampton if something were not done.
So all night long carpenters and clectricians laboured, draught holes were stopped and screens, carpets and electric radiators were pul mhen the jury found itself too hot, s0 something more had to be done to cool their heads without freezing their bodies. 'Then the Judge attacked the miserable conditions in the witnesses' waiting room, and something had to be done about that. Lastly his Lordship intimated that it was customary for the Union Jack to be flown over the house in which & Judge stays when on circuit. So a thi pole was installed and that was managed, Pick To the uninstructed it appears that the Judge was taking too much upon himself Actually that is hardly possible. It may not he generally known that, when on circuit, the Judge ranks as the direct representative of the King, and if the Assizes are held in a garrison town he is theoretically head of the Army while there, give ureoting when he arrives; Lords, ut and high sheritts must
hho must be accommodated in a special house, hotel, und his first entry into his court is attended by as much ceremony as if he were the King. So is the majesty of the law upheld. Tt is not the man of course but what he represents to which so much reverence is paid. And after all we are en-tilled to think that the English conception law and justice has no equal in the world.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.