LAND AND INCOME ASSESSMENT.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 20, 18 October 1907, Page 8

LAND AND INCOME ASSESSMENT.

; THE LAND BILL IN COMMITTEE. COMPULSORILY ACQUIRED ESTATES. I . , A LONG DEBATE. ( ; !.:• Iho Legislative Council yesterday afternoon : wut ■' tho Land ; and Incomo Assessment Bill ;• through Committee. Tho feature of the pror fceodings was tho reappoaraneo of tho oppor Bition to. Clauso 16, with its proviso which pnoa: tho Commissioner of' Taxes' power to ; : decide undor certain circumstances as to tlio Jona-fides of a salo of land. /Owing, partly to. i '(tho Hon. Dr.' Findlay's, explanations, and j. partly to the constitutional limitation of tho of the Council in dealing -with, a money. Ltoili, tho objections wore., not; very-keenly i; '(pressed; After-spending an hour and a half 1 Jon tho Bill, tho Committee, ropp'rted it without amendment. ..The minor business,of the ; fitting included the handing pver of tho now ! ' [consolidating \Firo Brigades Bill to the Joint - (Statutes Revision Committco. ! ' ■ 1 Tlio House spent the whole sitting discusr [ eing Clauso-66 of tho Land Bill, or, to ibe : ,|ahoro correct;, an' amendment thereto.- : The [■ jclauso, which has' loomed large in political S': j-convorsation for somo timo past, deals | with plthe method of valuing coiripulsorily acquired, Restates.■ , v Tho clauso, on' account of disap- ■ .upr'oyal ontsido at certain'of its features, was | ['dropped,by the Government, anil Mr. M'Nab' !' >4camo forward, with a- more comprehensive i {"-amendment; When"' early in ■ the afternoon 5 tie proposed to substitute' this for the' oiid in • Jjtho:Bill; Mr. Massey moved' a iformal amerid.to -strike out tho first two lines of Clauso j j.66 .with the object of getting in; ahead of the f {Minister and 'killing' the 'clause'.; 'Interesting C. idiscussiori resulted. Mr. M'Nab's amendment ,was chiefly '(jhe, subject of the debato.' Its £ provisions wore hotly attacked by members .of ifcho Opposition, ' whoso chitf; objection was I that it 'would' very largely 'increase 'the : reL jfccnuo, and tho burden ,of taxation, because > v landowners tfould'have to keep up their valu- ; to, : the i-lushest 'point, ip- view of the I, jfact that .their, land'might-bb, taken by the ; Even tho small "settler, it was y ffliuntended,ywould •'not' 1 be'exempt,'-because, |' jjander Clariso 69 of. the Bill, Mr. M'Nab's new ; jiprovision iWuld. apply ':'!t6.' every -landowner H,within -fifteen miles of' any ; borough.' The f (Minister denied that the burden' of taxation [' |Vould bo, increased.; spirit j was f ['apparent in the first,- reply, to the j :EiLeader of the Opposition, who-'liad also'disj' flayed warmth.; ' Strong expressions' were 0", imade use of at times in regard to the methods jf'-alleged to have been ado"pted by some'-owners 5 & valuing - their -estates : when the Goviaiis. Janent desired to acquire them. At 9.30 p.m. i.ipfcheCoirimitteo came ■ to ' a vote -on 'Mr'. [vjSlassey's amendment,.-which was lost by 45ltd f : 'j2l. Ait-er; this- prigres's was;more, 'rapid,- and, ; .Clause 66, as amended,' was adopted shortly ; loforo .midnight. The remaining six- clauses . and .a now clauso (74) —dealing with renow•'ablo ,leases for Choviot settlors —were adV,opted,' with' minor: amendm.onts,. and., progress ; iv'was repVted ; at 1 a.m.fA-;;