HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVIII, Issue 167, 18 July 1914, Page 8

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The House met at 2.30 p.m

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH PROPERTY.

Mr G. M. THOMSON (Dunedm •North) moved the second reading or the Presbyterian Church Prop^y Act, 1885, Amendment - Bill. The measure provides for the more effective vesting in trustees of property held jfor the use and purposes of any •congregation. Mr Thomson explained that the'power asked for was neces■sairy, in vW of the extension of the social side of the churches' work. _ ; .Tho second reading.was passed with■oiJtb debateI.' :i3ducation. ; Mr CRAIGD3 -(Tiniai-u) asked the JNCniEter for Education without notice wjiether he would permit evidence to i lie given to hliow why the South Can- I tarbury EdiK»tion Board should not ; <be abolished under the uew'Edusation ] Bill. -■■■■.■ ■. ,: ■■■,- : I

, In reply, ■ .. ' ' Tho MINISTER said tha-t personally he did not care Adiat boundaries were-agreed upon, so long ' as-the^dis- , tricts v/e,ro reduced in number. That '''Opuldi.be (lotie quit© well by the-Edu-■cation Coannitt-ee without.- taking special evidence.. .:■

MOTOR REGULATION

The Hon. .Mr HIiRDMAN introduced tho Motor ' Re.gulatti.6ns; Bill, under -which, all motor-cars will be libensed- and registered. Drivers also will be lioonsed) and the. fees will be apportioned between the Consolidated Fund and the local bodies interested. Mr WTLFORD (Hntt) urged that tho Lax sihould itake the form of a, tax •upon tyres, collected through theCus- ■ toms. Tho Hon. Mr'"Bf ASSET did not •agree with that view. 'He said the tax would be bas^d on the value and "horsp-power of tho oor. Sir Joseph WARD considered they wanted mote information as to how many cars were running in the Dominion in order tip arrive at an idea as to how much taxation could be raised, Mr I-lIIVDMARSH (Wellington South') urgvKi thai in the case of accident the civ- and not the owner should i>e held liable for damages.' Mr RUSSELL (Avon) protested agairst the Bill as a. form of class tax. The- Bill was read a first time. LAND AND INCOME TAX.

" The Hon. Mr ALLEN moved the •second reading of tho Land Tax and Income Tax Bill, lie stated that it made 110 alteration in the amount of 'the >tax levied. 'Sir Joseph WARD ■ asked if Mr Allen would supply the House with information as to the effect of the ■stepping system introduced by the Toeasurer in connection with the ■ordinary land tax, how much had the system increased the taxation, and the number of taxpayers? The Hon. Mr MASSEY, in reply, ■declared that there had not been any increase in tlhe rate of the land tax levied since- hin Government had come into office. The only people whose 'laud tax had increased were those wnosc valuations had gone up. > v Be.yond the increase made in the 'Graduated Land Tax (there had been no legislation introduced by the Government for increasing taxation, in •spite of what the Leader of the Opposition ihad stated from the public pla/tform. Sir Joseph WARD denied that he had ever, said the Government had by legislation increased ,the indirect taxation, but that did not. alter the fact) that taxation had ' increased by 10s Id per head under the Gover:iimeTlt that'had promised'to reduce "taxation. ' .

J _ Mr RUSSELL (Avon) declared that since Mr Massey had declared^ as part ■of.the Reform platform, that taxation must be reduced the taxes taken from the. people had increased by £197,000. The Hon. Mr ALLEN, in reply, said -that one of the reasons why the Cus•toms Bill had not been brought, down last year was the waste* of time resulting from the stonewall. There was no encouragement for the Government to bring down a reduction of taxation. There was no alteration in theLarid Tax last year. » , Tne second reading of the Bill was •agreed to. ■

DEFAMATION BILL,

The Hon. Mr HERDMAN moved the second reading of the Defamation Bill. He was satisfied that Members would find the Bill a wise one. It was very difficult for journalists to find out their legal position with regard to libel. The Bill attempted to. draw a line between free speech and the right or a citizen to have his character protected.

He was outlining, the various clauses of the Bill when the 5.30 adjournment was taken.