Telegraphic

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 9735, 18 July 1894, Page 3

Telegraphic

IWB tmiTBD PBBSS ASSOCIATION.! Auckland, Tuesday, The Pofaetna, for Newcastle, which put baek lost night owing to an accident to twa of her boiler lubes, left again this morning. LAfKii, The school committee of lire Fait burnroad school have forwarded the followin'* resolution to the Education Board “ That in view of the remarks of his Honor Mr Justice Conolly at the trial of Wiigley v. Fisher on tbe duties and responsibilities of school commit tees under the Auckland Education Board this committee instruct their chairman to send in to the Board the resignation of the whole of tbe committee without delay." The Board accepted the resignation.

Sir Maurice O'Rjrke has been reappointed chairman of the University College Council for tbo remainder of his term of membership, two years. GisitOßNE, Tuesday. A largely attended meeting was held the Academy of Music last night, Whan the following resolutions were carried unanimously;—!, “That in the (Vision of this meeting the prosperity of the East Crast gresVy depends upon the success of the Validation Court.” 2. "That the members of that Court deserve and enjoy the cotjfidencj of tbe public.” 3. “That the Government should give every assistance to the Court in tbe performance of its duties." 4. "That the Judge should have full power to remit fees in eases where such remis»lon is necessary or proper.” Also it was carried, " That this meeting requests the members for the district, both European and Maori, to use their best endeavors to give effect to tbe foregoing resolutions, | and to urge tbe Government to give every j assistance to the Validation Court in its important and useful work.” A feature of the meeting was the large number of natives present, and two Maoris addreefed tbe meeting, expressing themselves thoroughly satisfied with Judge Barton and his Validation Conrt. New Plymouth, Tnesday, At the Land Board yesterday a case of alleged dummyiem at Mimi was coneidered, when a resolution was carried to the effect that the Board was of opinion that in James Bain’s ess2 there was an 1 undoubted breach of the Laud Act of 18S5 by him, and the Board declared lire land forfeited, but under the circumstances of the case Bain should be allowed the value of his improvements in terms of section 57 of the Land Act, less cost of inquiry.

Wanganui, Tuesday. The football match yesterday, Dunedin High School v. Wanganui Collegiate School, resulted in a win for Wanganui by 11 points to 5. Cooper, who scored two trice, had to retire through an accident. Hewitt kicked a goal from a try, also a goal from a penalty kick. For Dttnedin M'Donald scored a try and converted. The match was well contested throughout, and was witnessed by a large number of spectators. The visitors have been well entertained. Wellington, Tnesday. At tbe instance of Mr O'Kegan, M.H.R., a Single Tax Society has been formed here, beginning with a membership of abont 25. The Government have declined to give •oy assistance to private exhibitors at the Tasmanian Exhibition. A number of the firemen of the Mamari were before the Court to-day for rowd;Ism. They were trying to take liquor on board the vessel, when the officers prevented them. They then showed fight. The police were called in. and a regular scrimmage took place. Five constables at length overcame the resistance, and three of the offenders got six weeks' imprisonment this morning, another was discharged, and a wharf laborer received 24 hoars forenconraging them. Later. At a meeting oi the Chamber of Commerce to day a letter was read from the Antwerp International Congress on the snbjert of Customs legtslalim and the labor question. The letter was referred to the Government. A letter was read from the Minister of Commerce informing the Chamber that an exhibition of samples it to be held at Johanneaberg, and asking If any interest Is likely to be taken in tbe matter In New Zealand. It wua resolved to write to the Minister informing him that the Conncil will u- pleased to second any efforts of tbe Government in the direction of securing samples of the products of this co'ony for the exhibition. The Colonial .Secretary sent a letter on the subject of the beet sugar industry, promising consideration of the proposals ol the Chamber. It was decided to ask the Treasurer if tbe matter wag nnder tbe consideration of the Cabinet, and to urge that there is a possibility of the industry being started if the recommendations are given effect to. It was hoped that the matter wonld be dealt with during this session of Parliament. Christchurch, Tuesday. St. Kiida and Crazy Kate have been scratched for all engagements at the Grasd National meeting,

Later. The committee of the Canterbury Rugby Union in-day resolved to suggest to the New Zealand Union that the •election committee should consist of the president of the New Zealand Union and two representatives from each Island ; that a match New Sooth Wales v. New Zealand to be played at Christchurch would be preferable to the match now arranged, New South Wales v. Sontb Island : and that a New Zealand representative team should visit New South Wales once in every two years. At Rangiora to-day Albert Otton was sentenced imprisonment for the Cost for from a three he was on the charge possession of a the post-olfi c. Dunedin, Tuesday. " The Sew Hoy’s return for the week 1; 82 ounces of retorted gold. Allied Marshall, ayonngman living in Stnth Dunedin, attempted suicide tills morning by taking a quantity of arsenic. He is now nit of danger. The verdict re Uremner, who died yesterday, was that death was owing to failure of the heart's action.

SUGAR REFINING COMPANY. Auckland, Tuesday. A meeting of the emplm 6s of the Sugar Refining Company was held last night re the Income to* assessment of the company. Mr Miller, the manager, presided. The Chairman in opening the matter ssid that for some three or four months past there had been correspondence parsing between the Commissioner of T.xcs and the company with regard to (,h<-:i“sfasment of the income tax of the c'ximny. The Commissioner had taken exception to the income tax returns as rendered by thecompsny,and nowmsisted that a proportion of the profit- made in Fiji, which was represented by raw sugar supplied to Auckland, should be taxed as income of the branch in Auckland. This demand had not been made doting the lost three years, and the com..

pany looked npon it as a robbery. Correspondence had passed between them for some time, hut nothing had been settled. The Commissioner of Taxes had written a final letter, stating that the rntnrns must bp submitted as he. wished, and that the taxes as demanded moat be paid. The general manager of the company npon receipt of this hail written to the Colonial Treasurer and had placed the facts of the case before him, and had also informed him that the Auckland works would be closed down at the end of the year, and that the refineries in Australia won Id produce sugar for )*»th colonies. He was not able In go into all the points with those present, but th"y knew sufficient to sea that if the d-cinlon of tha Commissioner of Taxes were carried into effect It would he a had thing for the employes in Auckland, as the company had decided to close the Auckland branch rather than pay the tax. One chief point npon which the company and the Commissioner were at variance was a demand made by the latter that the company should pay income tax, not only upon ptolits made in Auckland, but also in ] Fiji. Of coarse all Ihe sugar made in Fiji did not come to Auckland, and it was only upon that which did come that the company shonid be asked to pay. The employ 4* would see that this was a serious state of affairs, and some steps wrnld require to he taken at once to :rv and prevent the Commissioner f rom carrying ont ni» ■- cision. There had h-ort some mmor that I hi* was bat a threat of the company, hat he could assure them that such was i o', the case. He was informed that the letter sent to the Government was -cvere and to the point, and that what had been Mli weald tie done. Fail reasons weie glrMi by the neoeml manager in his comswaisfttioß why this step won takes, and

I regret wes expressed that the Government et New Zealand shonld force the company |to mka such acthm. He (the chairman) thought that the best plan for the meeting 1 1" adopt would be to pass a resolution to induce the Government to forego to-: rienmnds of the Commissioner of I'.xt1 '.xt s. The chairman also referred to the loss of employment that many men would sustain by the closing of works, More than ,300 persons would have their sustenance stopped. Speedy action on the part of the men was necessary, as the company were now awaiting a reply from the Colonial Treasurer in answer to the question put to him. The Chairman said that the iucrossed tax asked by the Commissioner would not he paid on the whole of the profits from the Fi|i works, but only ua that proportion whieii

was represented by the raw sugar sent to Auckland. He thought that the same grounds upon which a tax was demanded on sugar from Fiji would hold good for raw sugar brought from other countries. It was also possible that a similar tax would be demanded of them by the Fiji Government. The Chairman added that tho Commissioner looked at the question in this way : There were a certain number of shareholders In New Zealand, and they received a 1 portion of the whole profits of the comj pany. The business of the company in Auckland depended entirely npdn the works in Fiji. If the income that was derived from the Fiji wo-ks were to belong to that portion ct the company that was in Australia there would be no bother about the matter at all. The Commissioner, however, considered that the profits of the Fiji works were to swell the general revenue of the company, and thought that a portion of this should be added to the income made in the Auckland refinery, and in that way increase the income made in New Zealand. That was the Commissioner’s idea. The company held that the New Zealand Government had no right to take any income that was made in another colony, especially as the Auck'and works were merely a branch. To show the absurdity of the matter it was quite possible that a tax would be made iu Fiji, and the same tax would be paid in New Zealand. That was the company’s view of the matter. They considered that the demand for income tax was unjust. They were quite willing to pay for work done in New Zealand, bat not in Fiji. After some discussion the following resolution was unanimously carried “ ft is rumored that owing to excessive demands being made upon the Colonial Sugar Refining Company by the Tax Commissioner the works will be permanently closed at the end of the year, the employes, with those dependent upon them, numbering over 300, trust that such a calamity may be averted by the Commissioner relinquishing his demands upon the company.” It was decided to forward the above reeolntion to Mr Bolton for presentation to the House.