Salt tax must go

WE have in our leading article referred to one feature of the budget debate in the Assembly on Wednesday. Another and equally interesting feature was the attack made by most of the Indian members who spoke on the occasion on the increased salt duty. It is perfectly obvious that the bait held out by the Finance Member in the shape of a prospective reduction of provincial contributions in four cases has so far failed to produce any tangible effect. One of the provinces which stood to gain from the Finance Member’s proposal was Madras, and yet both the Indian members from that province who took part in the debate warmly repudiated any idea of having that province’s share of the contribution reduced by accepting the Finance Member’s compromise in the matter of the salt duty. “The salt tax,” said one, “must revert to the old level of Rs 1.4.” “Although I belong to Madras,” said another, “I would repeat what I said last year, that Madras would not be so selfish as to ask for relief at the expense of the salt duty.” The latter also vigorously attacked the statement of the Finance Member that the fall in the salt revenue was due to overstocking and understocking by traders, and maintained that it was really due to the fall in consumption which was confidently predicted last year. Other speakers followed in the same vein. It was reserved only for a European member — are not such members the only true representatives of the masses in India? — to ask the House to accept the Finance Member’s compromise.

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