LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLI, Issue 224, 21 September 1907, Page 2

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

The Council met at 2.30 p.m.

TARIFF BILL,

The discussion on the second read. inor o f the Tariff Bill was resumed by The Hon. M. GEORGE, who had previously moved the ournm6nt£ the debate. He stated that, as he understood that th- government wished to get through the Bill that day, ho would waive his right to SPThe ATTORNEY-GENERAL said that he had no desire to burk discusSfkELLY thought that | th* Government had been wisely modest in its proposal for protective duties, and he approved the remissions on the necessaries or lire, especially on sugar, which would, cheapen jams and other commodities in which sugar was largely used. The Hon. Mr LOUGHNAN thought it a pity that sweated goods could not b Vh™ Hon^J^G^feH held that all possible encouragement should be given to our own manuf acturies, and ho upheld the preferential tariff, holding that we had a right to give British manufacturers preference over foreign countries. In regard to the interpretation of the tariff, there ouo-ht to be provision for an appeal to Ihe Minister for Customs. He believed that the attitude of the Government in framing the tariff had been absolutely fair to all sections of the COThe UHon. Mr LUKE did not think that the Government had shown that magnanimous spirit of assistance to manufactures that they ought to have shown, and which this country had a right to expect. With all their fightinr over the tariff, the Government had not been able to get more than a 5 per cent duty on machinery. Me urged that the iron and other industries of the country should receive the fullest encouragement, tie strenuously advocated the utilisation of the water power of the country for manufacturing and other purposes and said that if the Government could nco xlo so they should let others take the matter in hand. There was a great future for electrical engineering in. The°Hon y'Mr BARR believed that the general community would largely benefit by the remissions of duty. He thought, however, that tha duty should have been relieved upon hollowware, seeing that it would be years before the Colony could supply the demand. He regretted the neglect m the tariff of the saddlery and harness trade, which had for some years "been going back. He also objected to the duty on raw cotton. The Hon. Mr SINCLAIR contended -that the duty on raw cotton would help to preserve the reputation ot "SJhS l?i dUSCO yTLAND said that the tariff had been compiled m a most masterly way, and was most lUThe ATTORNEY-GENERAL having replied in a very few words, the second reading was carried. me Standing Orders were suspended, and the Bill put through its final stages and passed. The Council adjourned at 4.50 p.m.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. !|

The House met at 2.30 p.m. LEAVE OF ABSENCE. Two days' leave of absence was granted to Mr Field, on urgent public business. Une wejek's leave of absence was -granted to Mr Bollard, on urgent private business. METHYLATED SPIRITS BILL. The Methylated Spirits Bill was reported, and amendments made m Committee agreed to, and the Bill read a third time and passed. LAND AND INCOME ASSESSMENT BILL.

The House went into Committee on the Land and Income Assessment Bill. At the interpretation clause, Mr MASSEY objected to the tax being paid on mortgage, by the bor- > rower, whilst" the lender at the same time paid tax on the interest derived from the same mortgage. The PRIME MINISTER stated that

the graduated tax was not paid twice —over. No reduction was made to the borrower on his mortgage, but the lender did not pay graduated land tax on the mortgage. He added that this clause did not alter the existing law. Mr James ALLEN urged that the mortgage tax should be done away with altogether. He added "Make it income tax if you like." By wiping out the mortgage tax they could cheapen money. The PRIME MINISTER said that the Bill was designed to assist in the cutting-up of large estates, and the tax proposed was with that object. No one wanted to see any individual suffer, but all wanted to see that large estates were cut up. Mr FISHER urged that a law should be passed that when a landowner died his property, if over £40,----000 unimproved value, should be par--celled out. If this were done, then in 25 years' time there would be no estates in excess of this value. The clause was to without amendment. The House adjourned at 5.30 p.m.