IN THE HOUSE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXVI, Issue 9491, 13 August 1891, Page 5

IN THE HOUSE.

LAND AND INCOME TAX. [PHOM OXiE. OWN CORRESPONDENT.! WELLINGTON, August 13. ~ THE PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT. Mr Bryce gently prods the Government about this document, not for the first time. He astonishes everbody except the initiated (if there are any initiated, and anything for them to be initiated in) by referring to a rumour that the session is to be wound up in the short space of tea days. The Minister, he says, will, if that report is true, have to look sharp with his Public Works Statement. There is amusement, but the Public Yforks Statement does not' get out of the haze. Another haze on the political horizon, which the Opposition leader likes to dissipate for the purpose of seeing what may he hidden, before the House gets to work. We shall all work better, Mr Bryce seems to tbink, if we only know who is to be the new Agent-General. He and the Premier, after contemplating that haze together from the deck of the State craft, got into a friendly discussion about newspaper reports, and after indulgw ing in banter separate, the Premier getting back to the Ministerial poop, his friend returning to the Opposition forecastle. Each is received with encouraging smiles by the denizens of his special sphere* The haze, however, remains as thick as ever on the horizon, and wo learn nothing about the Agent-General that we did not know before, namely, that the report that Sir F. D. Bell has taken his passage for the Colony may be true. We ate comforted with the promise that we shall know all about it when Ministers have made up their minds, on the subject. A third haze is the object of Mr George Hutchison’s solicitude. He fancies that there are Royal Commissions, hidden in its amplo folds. Ho reaches the poop by the ladder of the questions, and ho asks the Premier what legislative provision is to be made for M.H.R.’s serving on Commissions, who may be considered worthy of exceptional treatment. The Premier is as unable as Mr Hutchison to penetrate the fog-bank, and Mr Hutchison retires—whether to the forecastle or to the quarters taken up amidships by Mr Fisher at the beginning of the session is a question not germane to the present proceedings. Then the crew talks about grape vines, and grapes, and slaughter-houses and other things} and having exhausted the present subject, plunges into Committee, and wrestles there with the LAND AND INCOME TAX Bill. It is a small attendance, kept busy by the experts. They get on slowly by much jerking, deliberating through the balance left after last night of the first division of the schedule, and the chief discussion is about trusts. Bir John Hall has an amendment designed to secure Church Pi’oparty Trusts against graduation. He points out that under Clause 5 these trusts are, though the. properties comprising them are various, treated as one for the purpose of taxation. The Premier thinks the amendment is too large in its terms, and therefore dangerous. Argument follows of a lively nature all round the busy little company. Sir John Hall develops infinite patience in showing the real point to his numerous hon friends who have missed it, but they display an obstinacy equally large in re* fusing to see it. At last Sir John is satisfied on the Premier’s assurance that those trusts he is defending are protected by the provisions of this Bill; he withdraws hie amendment, and the clause passes. No amendments are made in the other clauses in the first part. The

SECOND PAHT OP THE SCHEDULE A introduces the great subject of mortgage#. Here the experts are greatly at home, as becomes inhabitants of the Great Loan Land. They rake up the whole subject of mortgages; they throw light into all ita dark corners; they toll the House many things it never suspected in dreams; they give the spectator a sort of impression that no legislation can ever hope to grapple with the intricacies of the great subject of hypothecation, bankers, overdrafts, registration. “ Registration ia not required by law,” says Mr Buckland j “ what I want to know is what is the moaning of the words ‘ duly registered or recorded in the manner prescribed by law.'” This bright light having flashed upon tho darkness of conversational discussion, continues a long time audio-

forbad. - Another light rises up. A mortgage not bein&, under this Bill, ft mortgage until it .is registered, .and the mortgagor not having the power to compel the mortgagee to register," the mortgagor will have to pay the tax inevitably., ine light falls upon a bone of contention, which Mr Valentine and Mr R- Thompson worry at opposite ends, to the accompaniment o? a civil growl or two. Chaos blots out the picture: it is a farrago of business terms, business practices, business ideas. The British farmer and the British merchant. the British retailers and their Colonial- representatives, are seen struggling together.. We miss the mace, and we begin to have a dim idea that three goldMfc balls ought to take the place of that fancy they are within mfosnirable distance. We almost imagine tbatihey are'appr caching the table with anp«)priate, jingle, when the dinner hour •trikes, waking us iip from a nightmare of ftbb darfost depths of the financial world.

' „ , AFTER DINNER, the "mortgages keep possession and make chaos for. nearly'two hours. At last the Bottle gets tired ot the cult of the three fotfej. it feels that there can be too much eleven this good thing; it strikes out the "duly registered" and other useless words, and If shakes off the subject. Schedule B faces up, and ,as soon as the ship's nose gets past the second line, a small amendment is made and' accepted. Then Mr Hutchison: bars all further progress with his amendment to put 20 per cent on to the ..

taxation, op absentees, who have been away for three years. The -wind" of dissension draws ahead, and the weather becomes unfavourable. MrHutchiv sett makes mincemeat of the absentees i» that' calmly persuasive way of his, so mildly earaestin argument, so deadly in conclusion. "Bights and duties. Sir. They have their rights; let them get a little taste 'of ' their duties.” Sir John Ball is horrified at - the indiscriminate method of good old Dunedin. He explains thit there are a large number of absentees who have improved their' property and are- constantly'adding to their improvement at very, heavy cost. “ Injustice, Sir, grosfinjustice !” After this,, the absentees just as' the' mortgagees dinner. • ;To judge by. the heated remarks that are made on aU sides, absentees" appeal to he a mixed breed .of y.gond and bad—their virtues ovfowhelfo- us .from the Opposition side, and their, vices horrify us from. the Ministerial 'side. Mr Backland says the worst absentees are the men who live in - New Zealand-—** not on their properties,” he says. Before the House can laugh, Dr Newman takes the Hutchison aide. He compliments the Premier in accepting what was his (the Doctor’s) own amendment ; he refers to the absentees as "cnaforha”; He denounces them; he themC; he : points out that they never improve, their, proper ties; he is very angry with them, and very warmly supports the motion.. "Absentee Companies I: want to get at." Mr Backland does nob thmk the absentees are “ creatures.” .He at the doctor for calling them •Matures ; he paints the average absentee asvehe of the best Colonists. Mr Blake hopes that this tax will only be applied to unimproved lauds. Then the virtues arid the vices of the absentee get* another rough and tumble. Out of that

JCB KINNIiDT .MACDONALD COMBS TO THE "i ’ ' KBONT, * - # •nd hammers the absentee a big book. Addressing strenuous periods to 11e-/Bnckland, he reads a'list of absentee* fromthisbook: a return it is, whiob.be commends to Mr Buckland. “It contains the story. Sir, of these absentees, proving the necessity for this tax.” Then he reads, in his round voice/ “ AnStey 46,000 acres, valued at £60,000, improvements £4000." Wairarapa calls out scornfully, “ I shall tell him all about Asatey by-and-bye.” The M'Donald makes fifrca reply: he . knows as much •bout the" lands, of this Colony as Wairarapa ; he haa studied this thing ; he will act he put dawn. Glutha gets a shot at him, and Wairarapa leaves the M'Donald to him for the present. The round tone goer on reading, “Joseph Clarke 72,000 acres, valued £73,000, improvements £12,000.” “You cannot improve that,” »yV r Clutha. The M'Donald is not particular, he is going to read him everything he has on his paper. “ Here th«y ; *ire; Sir, Clifford and Weld—we all knowthatproperfcy; wonderful property,” and the tone gefcs rounder and richer and highhE ; ,r * marvellous • property, 66,000 «artai%alued : at '£135,000, improvements iasoo.” 'Hie Macdonald is much struck with 'this case; he works it up. Three thousand suf hundred: a beggarly* sum for the'ibaprovepients on a prbperty valued at £I3SjOGO. He repeats the figures: “One c thirty-five thousand j that flna ptbperty, one hundred and thirty-five thonsahd- pounds.” “ Going,” shouts ClUtfaa, witha twinkle of malice in his The Iffdqt'is electric. The House roars, And there is a round of applause. TkaMtcdonald recovers himself, laughs the rest, and then shouts that ha 'i-'opXj Swishes 'these ‘ absentees 1 were not paly going bat gone. After him W*lr*rapadr» w* a picture of the Anstey pittparty : it is the gloomiest picture that evar'fwas - drawn: There's a run to imdid -he buy it for P ” asks MrTsnner, in a shrill, earnest voice, which'sends the. House off into another •honti r and further ... stimulates the bantering - spirits -roused by - Clutba atthe the Macdonald. “ Will it not ghats ?” asks one pitying membdrl Arethere any rabbits on it ?” says in a tone of mock re-assurance. Buf Wairarapa is ■ not a bit out: he puts the'lstfcgrim touches to his picture. After hihrj Mr W. C. Smith tells the House that where- -ho Jives “ He • is surrounded by ab»ehteeai” and receives a round of ftbrii the laughing members. But absentees have very much better than'Mr Anstey,if all; Mr Smith aaya#., correct. Masterton looks upon the . absentee^j|a.ai3k^.“'animated drain,” and he apparehtly with the' intention of* the echoes of the loznriotaa London house wjiero the wrptch drags out.his miserable sybaritish existence:‘'Yes, Sir, an animated drain, drainthe life blood of our commerce.” Thsitbe shouts the story of Mr Balfour, tirblkish' Secretary, as a typical instance Of the worst of the absentees. Mr Balfour, it r has several thousand acres near pahiatua somewhere. There is room upon tbese acres for a hundred good 'settlers, aridthere axe two men and a boy. Away with these absentees. Tax this fearful CUnie.- - Captain Russell makes calm contnut ih giving us the other side of the Balfour question. Mr Balfour fifteen years ago or so was the first to show that land of that hind, in ' a bush like that, could be used profitably. Masterton, and Mr Hutchison and others make protest. Captain Bussell sticks to his text: be knows the country and the circumstances better than any Of them ; be knows it of bis own knowledge. ■ .“, There were other settlers beudesthe Balfour people.” shouts Master . admits , the Captain, i'bot Übhe Balfour estate showed them thi' l Way.”' ‘‘ They were - ' all' poor iritn/f 'phts in Mr Hutchison, with great solemnifcy. “ That’s the best point,” retorts the Captain. Mr Balfour spent £2o;ooo*amongst'them. He wants to know whether that is deserving well of- the country.' Ho adds that he would be very glad to see the absentees making up their minds to come and live in the Colony, but the policy of the Government tends to drive such people out, not to attract them. If every man who owns land is to be called names, treated as a “ social pest.” ostracised, there is no use m expecting such people-to come out here. Ihe discussion proceeds apace. It gives us the case of Ireland, ruined by absentees. We have the Minister for Lands taunting the Opposition with opposing this amendment, •Iterthey voted with Dr Newman to have it' added* thß other night. Whereat the Opposition looks a little foolish. Mr Meredith says be. is not sm rounded by absentees, neither does he want this country to be occupied by absentees. The House laughs agate, and after Mr Meredith has made a vigorous onslaught on the absentees, we go off to aupper. As wo go the words are m our ears, There are absentees and, absentees. They have

been much used daring the evening, and they cover the whole ground. AFTER SUPPER the absentees succumb without a division, and then Clause B, with, the graduations, passes without any strife and without much amendment. Clause C goes through with an amendment without much talking. Schedule D meets with the same treatment, incomes by business exercising nobody’s mind. The clauses of Schedule E pass without remark. There is eager questioning. The question of passing the whole schedule is put, and schedule F, the last schedule, meets with questioning, and the questioning leads to conversation among the Opposition experts, and the conversation brings rebuke from the Chairman. The " bad debts ” clause is the object of interest, How can debts of any kind, good or bad, be called income ? That is the question which exercises the House. It is formulated after the talk has gone beating about the bush a good deal, by Mr George Hutchison. He chaffs the Minister a good deal about the meaning of the clause. The discussion appears to have become chronic, but at last the clause is retained. The next object is to pass an amendment exempting insurance premiums up to .£3O from the operation of the tax. Mr Wright wants it to be premiums up to a policy of <£2ooo, but the House will not have it, and passes the original amendment. Then the last schedule is passed, and at five minutes past one the Bill is reported with amendments. Friday is fixed for consideration. The Premier promises to have the Bill printed before that day, in time to let everybody study it, and we feel that the back of the session iabroken.