TAXES REDUCED

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 4 October 1924, Page 5

TAXES REDUCED

BILL PASSED YESTERDAY. (by TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION.) WELLINGTON, Oct. 4. The House to-night went into committee on the Land and Income Tax Amendment Bill. Clause one was passed without comment, but clause two, which increases the special exemption under land tax which is deductable from the uiiiinproved value of mortgaged land, created considerable discussion, members re-arguing the merits and demerits of the clause on the lines of the second reading debate speeches. The discussion was continued until 9.50 p.m., when a dmsion was called for on the Question that clause two stand part of the Bill. The clause was retained by 45 votes to 18, Messrs. J. A. Hanan (Invercargill), H. Poland (Ohinemuri) and F. J. Rolieston (Tima.ru) voting with the Labour Party, while the Liberals voted with the Government.

After the supper adjournment the remainder of the clauses were quickly passed up to clause ten. The House then resumed, when. the Premier brought down, by Governor-General’s message, further amendments to the Bill. One was a new clause eleven, dealing with unpaid land tax becoming a charge on the land. He explained that it was necessary to safeguard this provision in a most careful way, and the department considered the new clause would do this more completelv than the clause originally in the Bill. There was also an amendment to clause nine to ensure that the holders of pastoral license's and small grazing runs should not be liable to both land and income tax.

The amendments were agreed to on the voices and the Bill was read a third time and passed.