22 APRIL 1955, Page 8

THE LESSON Which Mr. Butler read last year on the

Sunday before his Budget contained the words 'Be free from the love of money and be content with such things as ye have,' which were certainly a suitable precursor of a Budget whose only concession was to the growers of chicory. This year the lesson, which was not one which should have been read last Sunday, contained the exhortation : 'Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.' This made a reasonably suitable text for an optimistic Budget making several concessions, although it could perhaps be held to have foretold a decrease in the taxation of alcohol, which unfortunately did not materialise.