EXTRA EDITION, POLITICAL NOTES

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 147, 23 June 1915, Page 8

EXTRA EDITION, POLITICAL NOTES

"A. GOING CONCERN" WAR TAXATION. ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS WILL BEAR THEIR SHARE. To-day Parliament Buildings have an appearance of liveliness. Many mem» bers have arrived, and they are busy with estimates of the session s duration, coalition, and the like. The full strength of the Press Gallery is about the premises as a reminder to Ministers that the old times have come again, and the pursuit of the ''scoop" (that exclusive information which is the joy of journalism) has begun. The first deputation of the new season called on the Prime Minister this ivfternoon, and altogether, one felt that, although Parliament had' not been formally opened, the workaday business was progressing. t Wai- taxation looms large on the political horizon at present. Arid from what sources are the 'sinews of war (apart from the loan for war expenses) to be obtained? It would appear to be a foregone conclusion that beer and spirituous liquoi[s will bo included in the pale of things revenue-producing, to say nothing about a land surtax and an in* crease in the income-tax. No indication has yet been given by the Government as to the extent of the increase in the Customs and excise duties on alcoholic beverages, but the public can rest assured that all liquors will have to bear their full share of foiditional taxation. The latest Official Year Book showß that for 1913 the Customs and excise duties on spirits and beer produced £898,683. Last year the amount— no figures are avail-able--wats probably increased to about £1,000,000. Assuming that 10 per cent, supertax is to be levied, another £100,» 000 would be added to the exchequer. A 20 per cent, addition, of course, would mean double that amount of increase. TO-MORROW'S COMMISSION. The personnel of the Commission which opens Parliament to-morrow will be :— Sir Francis Bell (Leader of the Legislative Council), Sir C. C. Bowen (retiring Speaker of the Legislative Council), and the Hon. Dr. Collins. \ LOWER HOUSE SPEAKER. It appears to be practically certain that the Hon. F. W. Lang, member for Manukau, will be re-elected unopposed aa Speaker of the Lower House. " ■ THE ROLL CALL. If a roll call of the Cabinet Ministers were made this afternoon it would reveal the fact that all of them are at present in Wellington with the exception of tho Hon. R. Heaton Rhodes (PostmasterGeneral and Deputy. Minister of Defence). He is to arrive from the south to-morrow morning. There was a fair influx of members to*day, and many of the lobby boxes were opened for the firßt time since the session closed last November. New arrivals ' included Mr. G. W. Russell, M.T?. for Avon, and Deputy-Leader of His Majesty's Opposition, who returned from Auckland yesterday afternoon, and Messrs. A. S. Malcolm ,(Olutha), George Witty (Riccarton), and J. Craigio (Timaru). An Opposition caucus is to be held to-morrow. SOW LONG? Conjecture as to the probable length of the session fills the air. The Eon. James Allen has predicted that it will last from six ! to eight weeks, but this estimate does not provide for anything in the way of party politics. Members seem to be pretty weu unanimous that heated controversy is not desirable at the present stage. A National Ministry would probably mean the minimising of debate, but should the Government decide to go straight ahead with its majority of one, the development* will probably be interesting. IMPERIAL COUNCILS. A suggestion has been thrown out by one of the Southern Opposition newspapers that the Prime Minister may be called to Imperial ( Councils before the war is over. It is iiuggested that this development may arise out of the forma*' tion of a National Cabinet at Home, but Mr. Massey, when seen this after* noon, said he could not say anything on the matter. "All I can, say," he remark* ed, "is that my place is in the House while Parliament is sitting."