CALLED TO ORDER.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19736, 28 September 1929, Page 16

CALLED TO ORDER.

PRIME MINISTER AND LAND OWNERS. SOME PERSONALITIES. [THB PKBSS Special Bsnrfee.} WELLINGTON, September 27. The Prime Minister was several times called to order, in the course of his replying to the second reading debate on the Taxation Amendment Bill in the House to-night. Sir Joseph referred to the large surpluses, which he stated he had left when he went out of office as Finance Minister. There were groans from Reform bersThe Prime Minister: It's all right. I hear groans coming from disappointed Reformers. It was only when they got to the end of the surpluses I left, that they found themselves in the position of having to face a deficit. Mr J. A, Nash (E., Palmerston North): The money was there. "It was not there," said the Prime Minister. Mr Nash: Where is it now! "Well, you swallowed a lot of it?" retorted the Prime Minister amid loud Government laughter. lie said that he wanted to remind the House Of what the Government was going to do for the farmer. Mr Nash: We know what you're ingThe Prime Minister: This year we are providing between £250,000 and £300,000 in free contributions to the farmer. Mr Coates: That is not new. "I didn't say it was," said the Prime Minister. Mr W. D. Lysnar (Ind., Gisborne): Oh, give us some details! The Prime Minister: I would recommend the honourable gentleman to share his large landed estates with others' Mr H. S. S. Kyle (E,, Riccartoti): ■ft hat about your own? Mr SpeakeV: Order! Order! The Prime Minister: I don't own any country. Mr Kyle: What about your own businesses? •The Prime Minister: What does the honourable gentleman do for a living? He mopes round all day and does nothing. Mr Speaker: .Order! Order! Mr Lysnar: That has nothing to do with this Bill! The Prime Minister: What you want is to retain your large land' estates. Mr Speaker called the Prime Minister to order. Sir Joseph, Ward: Well, Sir, I'll ««>y what the honourable gentleman wants

to do is to be counted a big landed owner. He won't cut up his propertiesMr Speaker again called the Prime Minister to order. Mr W. J. Poison (Ind., Stratford): That is not fair. Mr A. M. Samuel (8., Thames): That is below the belt. The Prime ■ Minister said that part of the intention of the legislation was to induce* the large landowners to cut up their properties. If he were to give way to the Beform Party it would mean that the whole of the provisions would be repealed. The Government was not prepared to do that. The Opposition could not look for any redress from the Government in that respect. Mr Lysnar: You're evading the question. The Prime Minister: We don't envy the large landowner. I don't; I am giad to see him getting on, but he must vield his acres to taxation. Mr A. Hamilton (8., Wallace): Why not the big city landowner? The Prime Minister: The eity landowner is not in the same category as the country landowner. To apply the same principle of taxation in each case would be neither just, fair, nor equitable.