Evening star., 1926-03-06
BRAND, DEFEATED
ON FISCAL POLICY,
RESIGNS MINISTRY
Brilliant 0ratory and Plea to
Chamber to Drop CoWardlce
rail Premier.
CRISIS BATTLES NATION;
NEW ELECTIONS ARE SEEN
Ousted Cabinet Head Will Go to
Geneva Tonight, But Merely
for Sunday Parley.

tor sunday PaTley'
BY the Associated Press.
PARIS. March 6.-The cabinet oi
Aristide BRAND has fallen. Like five
otnor ministeries i'm less than two
years il was wrecked on the shoals
OF the governments plan To bring
about the financial rehabilitation ot
France.
In the Chamber of Deputies early
this morning. the government made
the sales tax provision of its financia
bill question of confidence. 1t was
defeated by vote of PA to 22l. and
Immediately afterward NJ BRAND ten
dered the cabinets resignation.
During acrimonious debate in the
night long session. NJ. Briand several
times made fervent pleas that the
members come To the aid of the gov
ernment and pass the necessary meas
ures to enable it to tide over the
financial crisis. Likewise. Minister of
Finance Doumer warned the deputies
of the necessity for prompt and faVNV
able action. Louis Malvey. president
of the chambers finance committee,
and NJ. LamoreuX. the committees re-
porter. scored the memhe"s for what
they termed cowardicc.
Sees Chamber DodGin:.
NJ. BRAND said that the chamber
was not showing a sense of it's re-
sponsbilties.
Taxes" he said. are dSa creea bic
things. but the country has plenty of
good sense. If the reason is put
clearly before it. if il is made to under
stand that it is taking out insurance
against risks of the future. | am sure
II will weld to those who show it it's
duties
His speeches. however gained for
him only the admiration of his audi
tors. 1t did not serve to change their
attitude Of hostility against the sales
tax.
The sales tax had met bitter opposi.
tion from business, In Paris shop
keepers closed several hours in pro-
test. even the bars doing no business.
The first trouble during the night
session of the Chamber arose over the
article raising the price nf common
tobacco from a franc and One-half to
two and a quarter francs per packet
This the Chamber would not vote. 1t
even elected an amendment raising il
to francs Here government speak
ers accused the House Of cOwardice.
Sitting Suspended.
As the refusal to raise the price
eliminated 500 000.0o0 francs from the
resources the government had counted
nn. the sitting was suspended TO en-
able the finance committee to de-
liberate. The committee decided on a
compromise fixing the price at )
francs 10 centimes. The House voted
the amendment, 40 to l59.
The tobacco matter was made &
question of confidence in the govern
nent.
Then the tax on payments, or
"a les tax. was brought up. The pay
ment fixed by the committee was
half of | per cent. During the
discussion NJ Bendouce stated that
the Socialists would refuse to vote
for the tan NJ: Doun : insisted that
It must be passed
The situation is NOT SO good as ii
was in January" he said. The gov
ernment asks you To give me an
answer that will ward off the peril
threatening public finances which
looms imminent. You have yet time
TO stave It off. IF YOU refuse the gov
ernment the resources 1t asks, not |,
hut another. will take the responsible
ity for the nations finances.
shortly after the unfavorable vote
NJ BRAND went to the ElNsee Palace
and presented the cabinets rcsi@na-
ton, which President DoumerSue 1o-
cepted It was then announced that
NJ BRAND will go to Geneva tonight.
He will participate in the prellnn-
nary converse tionS in Geneva tom"r-
row. returning Monday.
President Doumergue left for Lyon
this morning. He had a long cor.
versation in his car with +. BRAND
before the train started.
Took Office on November -.
NJ. BRAND had been in office since
November - last. He took the Office
with much trepidation, realizing the
fate that had been meted out by the
hostile Chamber to five predecessors.
who had endeaVored to bring about
the financial reform of the country.
on his first appearance IN the Cham
her. on December >. just after he had
returned from London, where he sign
ed the LoCarno treaties. he was given
a vote of confidence. In two weeks
his cabinet mel with its first serious
rebuff when the Chambers finance
committee rejected Finance Minister
Louis Loucher's financial plan. NJ.
Loucheur resigned and n. Doumer
took the finance portfolio.
When NJ. DUumer's financial bill
mas placed before the Chamber. il call
ed for 4.U0u 600 .e0n frames. II was
amended here and there. and finally,
in the early hours Of the morning of
February l6. was passed, calling for
only 1900. 600 900 francs The meas
ure then went to the Senate, which
passed IL last sunday morning. restor-
Ing taxes rejected by the Chamber. in
Guiding sales and export taxes. II also
adopted measures designed to balance
the budget and restore credit at home
and abroad.
NJ. BRAND has held the premiership
of France eight times. During his
last incumbenCy he has had to steer
the ship of state through stormy
waters several times on matters re-
lated to the financial and Syrian sit
uations.
His supreme triumph over the op-
position came late last December
when he outgeneraled the radical Left
members Of his cabinet who opposed
him. He told them bluntly to agree
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