7 MAY 1932, Page 34

Finance—Public & Private

Tariffs and the National Expenditure

THERE is one point arising out of Mr. Neville Chamber- lain's Budget, and also out of the new tariff policy, con- cerning about which I thinkthe Governthent, and the Chan- cellor of the Exchequer in particular, would do well to give heed to views which are being expressed in a good many :quarters in the City. I need scarcely say, per- haps, that among City and business men views on fiscal policy still differ considerably. On the point I am. about to . bring forward, however, there is a very general consensus of opinion in the City, irrespective of whether Abase who subscribe to it are . Free Traders .or Tariff Reforrners. Indeed, it would probably be trite to say that Many of those who are Opposed to the fiscal policy of the present Governnient none the less desire that the experiment should be tried, with a good hope of- success, and it is for that reason that- they are concerned with the fact that the recent Budget contained too little in the way of promise of further curtailment of the National Expenditure and too much in the way of

expectations of revenue from the new tariffs. •