Montreal, May 4.
'The budget has now been brought down at Otlawa, and is proving. to be another bitter' pill for the country to swallow. Following close after Mr, Chamberlain's budget in. England, the force of which stunned the British House, Mr, Dunning's statement was received very solemnly. For he had to announce a large deficit on the year which has recently closed, to budget for another deficit for the ensuing financial twelve months and to seek more revenue by increasing the sales {ax and the corporation tax.
was a clear budget, and not a ttle courageous for 2 Government that has but recently assumed office, but the financial picture which presented was none the less slaggering. The total gap between the revenues of the country during the year which ended on March 31 and the all-inclusive expenditures was '$162,000,000. This tremendous. Agure Includes railway deficits and relict expenses, but this Is small consotn-
For the current year Mr. Dunning plans (o bring the.gap down to just under $100,000,000, but to do it he is forced to tap sources of revenue that might easily shrink during the year. The increase of the sales tax from six por cent. to eight per cent. hits all business, and eventually (foes {o increasing the cost of living, as the manufacturer will try and.'fnd some way of passing on the now ime Post, The corporation tax Is increased From 13% per cent. to 18 percent, find" this. will cut. deeper into the profits of the large companies, benefit by the summer trade that will soon commence, "Alter a. keenly-contested combat tion "in which all parts of. the Dominion "took part," the coveied Bessborough Trophy—the highest ward Tot te "Dominion Drama written by a Cenadian, "This was the festival-—was carr ya
frst time in the short history of these dramatic competitions that a. Can-dian play hasbeen granted frst place, and the result was cheered by audience that jammed the Lite Thealre Vin Ottawa to wales the presentation of the competing plays and. to hear the decision "of the "Dwenty-tve Cents," a story of unemployment andthe" conditions resulting from it, was produced by the! Drama 'Leagus of London, Ontario, and. was written. by W, Erle Harris, was a. play that "gripped the audience on' the last night of the week of trials, nnd. the -winning of ihe trophy was very popular, The central fact, of Who play was the skimping and saving of a hard-pressed mother, who enjoyed an occasional Wisit to the movies, and the dimeulties hat besot her when she finally had hoe "twenty-five. cents."
Mr, Harley Granville-Barker, who crossed from England to act" as djudieator for this year's. Festiva was. most. enthusiastic about th quality of the various productions. A recognized authority on all Uhat per~ {ains (0 the stage, both past and present, he declared that Canada is fu th verge of producing " national
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.