M.P.'S SALARIES

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 253, 20 July 1920, Page 6

M.P.'S SALARIES

EXEMPTION FROM INCOME TAX

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OBJECTS At the fortnightly meeting of the Council of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, held yesterday afternoon, Mr. C. M. Banks moved:— Thnt tli's Chamber has noticed with regret and concern the recent decision of the Government to exempt from income tax the salaries of members of Parliament and other public officers, and is of tho opinion that it is a dangerous precedent nnd ' unnecessary, and this chamber trusts that' the decision will be repealed and that the liability for income tax should be taken into consideration when fixing the amount of remuneration. In moving the abiree. motion, Mr. Banks pointed out, the grave- precedent pronosed to be set up bv Parliament in that it might be the thin end of the wedse towards exemption for the whole of the Civ : l Service. He made it finite clear that his prop-».=al did not mean to infer that the members were paid sufficient salary, but that the chamber, as business men, wore onposed to anyone being exempted from the payment of income tax. . ~ Mr. Wilson, in seconding the motion, said that the principal was obviously wrong. He personally d l d not think the member'! of Parliament were paid sufficient salary for their services. If instead of increasing the members salaries to .£4OO they were to ranks' the salary .£fioo a year they would get the best minds of the country-better minds than they got now. Mr. H. D. Bennett doubted whether it was a question which concerned tho chamber at all. If it referred to taxation alone it m'ght be within their scope. He did not think they should talk of salaries. , Mr. Wilson said that a chamber oi commerce could discuss anything m t»e interests of the public. The chairman ruled that it. was a question of taxation, and therefore witli■•n the scope of the council. He considered the principal under Mr. Banks s motion was sound. Tho motion'was parsed. It was also decided to send the resolution on to other chambers of commerce for their endorsement.