POLITICAL NOTES
(N.Z. Times.)
THE LICENSING LAW,
"There has been an evasion of the intention of the Legislature," said the Premier yesterday in regard to the removal of licenses from one place to another a long distance away, though in the same district. In reply to a question by Mr Atkinson on the subject, Mr Seddon said that on the one hand he had been bombarded with petitions against any fresh licensing-legislation tins session, and on the other hand he was asked to introduce an amendment to remedy this defect. However, it was his duty to bring down legislation to remedy any defect in the existing law. The Government had never countenanced the evasion of the law which permitted licenses to be.dropped out and taken up again somewhere' else. " I think," added Mr Seddon, " that you will have a Licensing Act Amendment Bill this session, and if members' are moderate, and only deal |with "questions that require amendment, it is probable that it will go through,"
THE MOETGAGE TAX. t Yesterday, Mr Monk asked whether the Premier would introduce legislation to harmonise the pressure of taxation upon incomes derived from mortgages on land and those obtained by other means. He pointed out that £4000 lent on mortgage at the Ml rate of 4i per cent supplied an income of £180~ and paid taxation of £16 13s 4d, or Is 10|d in the pound on tbe interest received, while incomes derived ■ from -other sources up to £1000 only paid a trifle m the pound. The Premier, replying. "He who lives upon the letting of money toils not, neither does he sphi, and generally he waxes rich." Mr Seddon went on to say that it was the duty of the State to'see that taxation was equitable, and that those best able to pay should pay. To reduce the mortgage tax would mean a loss of £25,000 a year; and though he had made a promise to that effect in the last Financial Statement, his expenditure had gone up so much that he would have to reconsider that question. If the concession were granted, the money would have to be raised elsewhere, probably by another turn of the screw of the graduated land tax.
Mr Monk: "Ministerial salaries." Mr Seddon, continuing : I do not think there is any necessity for that, but in any case, the matter will be further considered.
JOTTINGS.
A Bill to .amend the law relating to distress for rent is to be. brought down by the Government this session.
At question' time yesterday, when a southern member was speaking at length on a matter in-which he was particularly interested, the Premier made a remark which was interpreted by some others near by as "What rot!' A watchful messenger, however, imagined the Premier to have expressed the opinion that the chamber was too hot, whereupon he gravely earned the thermometer to Mr Seddon to show that the temperature was only sixty !< Mr Guinness has made the pertinent suggestion that in view of the scarcity of domestic servants, the Government should put a'sum on the Estimates to provide for assistance towards the immigration of girls who will undertake the' work. Mr Seddon, however, thinks that no such Government assistance is necessary, as the servants at Home, when they hear that there is to be a halfholiday for domestic servants here, will rush to New Zealand.
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Bibliographic details
Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 7069, 31 July 1901, Page 3
Word Count
564POLITICAL NOTES Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 7069, 31 July 1901, Page 3
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