Canada's Budget

Four times the Rt. Hon. James A. Robb has appeared impeccably to present a budget before the Canadian Parliament, and every time has achieved warm applause. Canadians know that he will be crisp, profound and lucid on these occasions. His keen sense of politics humanizes his high, austere ability. Last week he said: "Four years ago, when I presented my first budget, Canada was still suffering from the effect of post-War depression. Today all traces of that depression have disappeared; a spirit of optimism is general, and our domestic and international trade is flourishing." Ergo, Finance Minister Robb presented a budget that cuts $27,000,000 off the burdens of Canadian taxpayers, and balances at $354,259,413-- almost exactly one-tenth the balancing figure of the U.S. budget: $3,584,987,873 (TIME, Dec. 20).