PARLIAMENT.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 23 August 1924, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

. THE ESTIMATES. UNPAID LAND TAX. (by TELEGRAPH PRESS ASSOCIATION.) U ELLINGTON, Aug. 22. Consideration of the Estimates was •resumed in the House of Representatives to-day soon alter the House assembled. Tire, iirst vote' taken was the Treasury Department (£32,816). Mr G. W. Forbes (liurnui) deprecated the present system of presenting the Budget to the House and the country. He suggested that the Minister for Finance sliould prepare' his -Budget and lay it on the table, but instead of reading masses of figures to the House he should make a. financial speech, in which lie couic. explain the main features of the Budget. Mr Massey indicated that he was favourable to the simplification of the method of presenting the Budget. The vote was passed. The Income Tax Department (£50,/67) was next taken. Mr T. K. Sidey (Dunedin South) considered the Taxation Department should be enabled to make, arrangements that would avoid possibility of evasions. Mr F. J. Rolleston (Timaru) -urged the appointment of resident officers in various districts. He drew attention to the tact that occasionally mortgagees found themselves liable for land tax unpaid by mortgagors. ; Mr T. M. Wilford (Leader of the Jpposition) suggested that the Commissioner of Taxes should he empowered to lodge caveat against properties in such cases. Mr Massey said the department was already appointing officers in the cities and in Invercargill regarding unpaid land tax. . Such amounts were now a lien on the land affected. The arrears of land tax at the end of the financial year amounted to £367,950, and income tax £449,214. The vote was passed unaltered. The National Provioent and Friendly Societies Department- vote (£22,300) was then put through without discussion.

Progress was reported, and the House rose at 9.45 p.m. til 12.30 p.m. on Tuesday.