QUESTIONS FOR CANDIDATES 143 



(6) Will you support any steps that may be taken to try and 

 induce the Government to make up the deficiency out of the 

 National Exchequer ? 



(13) (a) Do you believe that the adjustment of public burdens 

 as between Imperial taxation and local rates involves the previous 

 passing of a Valuation Bill ? (6) If so, why ? 



NOTE. Taking the national services : The police could 

 be dealt with per head ; lunatics, per bed ; education, per 

 child ; and roads, per mile. 



1909. 



At the first meeting of the year the Chamber adopted a 

 report containing the following : 



" In view of the forthcoming Budget, your Committee wish 

 to recall some of the statements laid before Parliament by the 

 Council last year, as the still increasing expenses of local author- 

 ities, and the events of the past twelve months, have but added 

 force to the requests made to the Chancellor of the Exchequer 

 before the introduction of the last Budget. Your Committee 

 consider that local rates have been very improperly burdened 

 with heavy and increasing amounts disbursed on behalf of national 

 services ; that local rates have enormously increased during the 

 last twenty years, notwithstanding a rise in rateable values of 

 over 40 per cent.; therefore if the grants -in-aid were sufficient 

 when fixed on a basis which might have been fair in 1888 and 

 1890 (though we do not admit it was fair), it is manifestly unfair 

 that the same fixed basis should be used in 1909." 



On 25th February Lord Helmsley (M.P. for Thirsk, and a 

 member of the Chamber) moved as an amendment to the 

 Address a similar resolution to Mr. Hedges', of 1908. Mr. 

 Hicks-Beach seconded it. 



Several Liberals supported it by their speeches, but being 

 an Amendment to the Address they naturally did not record 

 their votes for it, although it should be mentioned that Sir 

 Luke White, Mr. Hedges and Mr. Lamb were courageous 

 enough to vote in accordance with their opinions. The 

 Chancellor of the Exchequer replied for the Government in 

 a speech which admitted once again the fairness of the 

 Chambers' contentions, and expressed an indefinite hope that 

 although he could do nothing this year, he might be able 

 before the Government went out of office, to take a consider- 

 able step in the direction advocated. 



