ABOLITION OF INHERITANCE

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24793, 6 February 1946, Page 6

ABOLITION OF INHERITANCE

VIEWS OF MR SEMPLE (P.A.) WELLINGTON. Feb. 5. Not only did the Minister of Works (the Hon. R. Semple) declare to-day that any suggestion that the Government was contemplating bringing down disinheritance legislation was baseless, but he also stated that the principle of inheritance was a sacred-right and that he would publicly dissociate himself from any move to abolish it. Mr Semple, when interviewed, said the question of abolishing inheritance has never been discussed in Cabinet, in caucus, or at the annual conference of the Labour Party to his knowledge. “I believe in the right of inheritance.” he said. “I believe that parents, after they have toiled all their lives and have got some little treasure, property, or otherwise, and want to leave it to their family, they should have the right to hand it on. Death duties look after those who amass fortunes, but to take the right of inheritance away altogether would be to take away a sacred right. I, personally, would dissociate myself from any move of that kind. I would never be a party to interfering with the sacred right of a mother and father to hand on something to their children, or anyone else they desire. The tiling has never been suggested to my knowledge. In my opinion it is just a bit of political scare-mongering.”