POLITICAL NOTES

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 26 September 1925, Page 5

POLITICAL NOTES

JOTTINGS FROM THE HOUSE

FUSION MOTION, d “ NOT TO BE DISCUSSED. ’ moil oun parliamentary reporter. WELLINGTON,- Sep. 25. Th Prime Minister. moved this afternoon in the Houses' that a number of adjourned notices of motion be dealt with t-o enable reports to be tabled. Mr Atmore asked if he could- get a reply to his request that a motion in favour of the amalgamation of parties be treated similarly as unopposed, so as to enable it to be discussed. “I regret the Government cannot see it 6 way clear to allow that notice of motion to come forward. I am afraid that will have to he my answer,” stated the Prime Minister. “You refuse to allow your party to give an unfettered vote?” queried Mr Atmore, hut the Prime Minister did not reply. . .• ‘He will tell us after the election, s'-ygested a Labour member.' NEW HOUSING SCHEME. Associated with the railway extension and Hutt Valley Lands Settlement , Bill, which passed the House of Representatives to-day, is a Government iheasure which will supplement the scheme for duplicating the Hutt railway, There is a considerable area of State land to he served, and the Bill provides for a special scheme of settlement- for residential purposes under the control of an advisory board working with the Land Board. Authority ' is given to the Minister for Finance to pay into the State Advances - account up to £50,000 annually, which will be loaned to allotment holders for the building of dwellings. The Minister for Lands explained that a number of Wellington commercial men,- with a view to providing cheap houses for workers, were willing to carry out a building scheme, disclosing all their costs, and he hoped Labour would cooperate with them, in their aim of pro- . viding homes at a weekly cost not exceeding one and a half day’s wages. It was expected to he able to build 40 to 50 houses, hut under these, conditions it might be possible to build 60 , for the amount of money appropriated by the Bill. MORTGAGE TAX. A NOMINAL FIGURE. The Statutes Revision Committee of the House of Representatives has dealt drastically with .. the Stamp Duties Amendment Bill, introduced by the Minister for Finance. The clauses xiroviding for reduced, duty .on mortgages have been struck out and new clauses substituted, which' provide that' all mortgages registered after the-passing of the Act shall bear a duty of 2s 6d, and mortgage discharges,, or partial .discharges, shall bear a: similar duty. Another - new clause provides that no stamp duty shall be charged on bonds or debentures issued l>y any corporate body and charged upon land. A clause in- the original ' Bill intended to strengthen the law relating to - false statements in documents having effect of depriving the Crown of revenue, was deleted by the committee.