ON WITH THE ESTIMATES

Feilding Star, Volume 2, Issue 318, 23 August 1924, Page 5

ON WITH THE ESTIMATES

-BUSY NIGHT TN THE HOUSE

VOTES -PASSED UNALTERED

(Per Press Association./ Wellington, Aug. 22

The House then went into 'Committee of. Supply to'further consider the Estimates.

'Tim first vote taken was the Treasury Department, £82,8-10. Mr Forbes deprecated the present system of presenting the Budget to the 'House and 'com: try. He suggested that the .Minister of Finance should prepare 'his 'Budget and lay it on the table. Instead of reading masses of figures to the House, however, he should make a financial speech in which he could 'explain the "main features of the Piidget. This would be much more interesting to the public and members.

Mr Massey indicated ■that he was favourable to the simplification of the method of presenting 'the 'Budget. Mr Smith (Taranaki) urged the Premier to devise pome mclTiod by which progress payments could be made more expeditiously to those getting loans from the Advances Department for building houses. At present the delays were so great that the builders could not obtain advances certified to by Government officers, and consequently their prices were increased to the detriment of those building homes. The vote, Was passed. TAXATION DEPARTMENT The Land and Income Tax Department, £50,707 was next taken. The Leader of the Opposition complained at the comparatively small salary paid to the Commissioner of Taxes £1133. New Zealand was extremely lucky in having such a Commissioner as Mr Clarke, who was worth far mrire money. The. Premiei agreed, and also passed the highest encomiums upon the Commissioner, who, he said, was one of the most valuable officers in the. Public Service.

Mr Holland was surprised at Mr Wilford attempting to raise the salary of a man getting over a £IOOO a year while not a. word was said about men who-were not getting sufficient to live on, That was 'Liberal constitency Ho moved to reduce the total vote. by £1 as an indication that those officers receiving -fi-1-50 or 'less should have 'their salaries restored to flic pre-war standard.

.Mr Massey said the .salaries schedule was at present under 'review, and if : he mistook riot it was going to result iii the Pdblic Service'salaries being increased to the extent of a hundred thousand pounds per annum. They could nrit go too fast, because so much depended on the prices obtained for our produce, ff those fell things would become very difficult. They must not mortgage the future too much. They had gone as far as they could Tor 'the a present. Mr tVilford said his party would vote to increase salaries (if £'.320 and •less, 'but not so'high as £4oo. On a division the amendment was defeated by 4f> votes to 70. Mr F J. IRolleston 'urged the appointment of resident officers in the various districts. He drew attention to the fact That occasionally mortgagees found themselves liable for land titx unpaid by mortgagors. Mr Wil ford suggested that the Commissioner of Taxes should be empowered to lodge a caveat against properties in such cases. Mr Massey r;aid. the department was already appointing officers in the. cities and Tnvercargill. Regarding unpaid land tax, such aniounts were now a lien on the laud affected. The arrears of land tax at the. cnd'df the financial year amounted To £800! 050, in income tax £449,214. Tlie vote 'passed unaltered.

STAMP HUTTES

On a vote frfr Stanip Duties Department, £275,837, Ah- Witford moved an amendment that the total he I r< i diicc'd by £n as an indication that 'the 'cut' in civil servants' salaries of £.'s2o and tinder should be reinstated.

Mr T/arr said stum a. restoration would involve a total amount of £l/191 ,010, a ! nd if 'the reinstatement 'were made 't;ho whole scheme of reduction of taxation Would bavo to go by the board. Mr Holland said Labohr's efforts were 'to benefit the lower-paid men, while the Government's scheme of ■reducting taxation only benefited the wealthy interests. Mr Massey: Civil Servant are better off to-day than at the out-break of tbo war.

Mr Mc'Leod said all would agree that public servants shouU be put baclc to the pre-war standiird of living There were 'BO,OOO ; fa'rrncrs in New Zealand who also sTionld lie put back to the 1914 standard of living. Some people seemed to be forgetting there had 'been a war, Hut they wished to see one section of the peoplo benefited at the expense of another section.

Mr .A'tmore said the renewal of the sifper 'tax had. benefited. : ih'e %brker by releasing 'mdney 'for eXjiehditiire. Tliht was : more 'iise'fiil 'to 'the vge'tteral 'boily of tilfo 'jiedjile than -QW&iWmt •expenditure. Sesivy -tamtion bdilld

only react upon industry to the detriment of 'those employed therein. He a redaction in taxatidn, but'there should be progressive betterment of public servants' salaries. On a division, IVTr Wilford's amendment 'was defeated by 20 votes to 24, and r the vote was carried unaltered. The National Provident and Friendly "Societies Department vote 0f.£22,300 was then put through 'without discussion, progress was reported, and tire Bouse rose at 9.45 o'clock,' >■