PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8631, 29 July 1891, Page 5

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

[by tilbobaph.—special correspondent.] r Wellington, Tuesday. \ THE BANKS AND THE TAXATION r PROPOSALS. t This morning I had a chat with a promt- 1 neat Wellington banker regarding the * Taxation Bill, when he stated that after ( having considered the measure he was cer- ] tain that banks and companies would not r be worse off under the new scheme than f under the property tax, except, of course, those who are large landholders. Calcula- £ tions show that for those who have but little s or no laud the amount paid under the new t taxation will be about the same as under r the property tax. One effect of the new l proposals will be that any New Zealand j company which has issued bonds in London will have to pay the tax upon the bonds, j since it will hardly be able to make it » j charge upon the interest, which is paid at home. The bondholders would offer a de- ( cided objection to such a course. In this res- j pect the Bill wants some modification, as at ( present the company must bear what will be j equivalent to a special tax. I asked the j banker whether he thought the new taxes would have the effect of driving capital j out of the colony for investment else- , where. He replied that he did not , think they would. "People make a great j fuss," he continued, " about capital having , to leave the colony, but it cannot, for f where will it go? There is no better coun- , try for it to go to, and the burdens now ( proposed here will have to be borne anywhere else. My opinion is that this colony ; has a splendid future before it." , . SUPPLY OP SEALING WAX. '" i Inquiries are to be made by Mr. Lawry as to the conditions under which sealing wax is supplied to the Government, and whether it is cheaper to import it than to purchase it in New Zealand. He intends to give notice to-morrow that he will ask the Postmaster-General what quantity of sealingwax constitutes a twelve months' supply for the Government, at what price per pound was the last shipment of imported wax landed in Wellington, and at what price per pound the New Zealand sealingwax was supplied to the Government by the late contractor or contractors ? • A CONTRADICTION. There is in the Taxation Bill a strange contradiction, evidently nothing more than , a clerical error. In schedule C, clause 1, it is stated that a company's income subject to taxation shall include that derived from the use or produce of the land, but in Clause 16 of the Bill, section 2, subsection, the income from land and the use and produce of land is included amongst the revenues which shall be exempt from the operation of the tax. The Premier, whose attention has been drawn to this contradiction, states that it ie an error in the Bill. Of course the profits derived from land shall be taxed by the land tax, not by the income tax. ? AUCKLAND ORANGES IN THE HOUSE. Fruit from Auckland was in season in the House to-day. Messrs. Houston and R. Thompson received two boxes of oranges grown at the estate of Mr. Dobbie at Whangarei, and a box was placed in each of the two whips' rooms, and the contents distributed amongst members, The oranges, though rather early, were fine handsome specimens, and were much enjoyed. THE AUCKLAND HARBOUR BOARD LOANS. The loan conversion proposals recently discussod by the Auckland arbour Board will be embodied in a Bill of which Mr. T. Thompson is to give notice to-morrow. The Auckland Harbour Board Loan Act, 1886 Amendment Bill. This measure is designed to legalise the conversion of certain loans as decided recently by the Board, and to provide for the establishment of a sinking fund. A WASTED AFTERNOON. Private business (that is Bills not of a public character, for which a certain sum has to be paid before they are allowed to come before the House) does nob generally provoke much .opposition, especially as the Bills are first carefully inquired into by the Private Bills Committee. This afternoon, however, was an exception to the rule, as two Bills of this nature occupied the whole sitting, and no preliminary business of any kind, not oven the presentation of a petition, took place. Both Bills were strongly opposed, and as they referred respectively to the lighting by electricity of Christchurch and Wellington the same arguments were pretty generally used in each case. Mr. K. Macdonald, one of the Wellington City members, was the chief opponent of the Wellington Electric Lighting Bill, brought in by Mr. Duthie. Mr. Macdonald moved an amendment to the effect that the Bill should not come into operation unless it received the approval of the citizens by public meeting and poll within three months, and that it be sent back to the committee to be amended. He said Mr. Duthie's Bill was an atbempb at interference with the rights of the people of Wellington without any necessity. It proposed to authorise the New Zealand electrical syndicate to break up roads, cross bridges, etc., but no indication was given as to what the electrical syndicate was. He had written to the Mayor of Wellington, and discovered to his astonishment that that gentleman also knew little or nothing about it. Surely it was an extraordinary and improper thing bo find the Mayor and councillors presenting such a Bill as this without first having obtained sufficient information on it. He spoke at considerable length against the Bill. Mr. Fisher, the senior Wellington member, also strongly opposed it, mainly on the ground that the water supply of the city would be materially affected if the Bill became law. Mr. Macdonald's amendment was finally carried by 38 to 22. Mr. Taylor's Christchurch Electric Lighting Bill was the next on the paper, and it evoked strong opposition from Sir George Grey, Messrs. Rees, Fish, and other members, but had a stout champion in Mr. Perceval. Mr. Macdonaldjmoved a similar amendment to that in the Wellington Bill, but this was defeated by 30 to 23. Mr. Duthie, after the division, complained bitterly that the Government had made his Bill a party question, as the two Bills should have been treated in the same way. He was supported in this view even by some of the Ministerial party, but the opposition to the Christchurch Bill still continued. The motion for the third reading of the Bill gave an opportunity for a fresh debate on the whole question, and Mr. Fisher talked the Bill out till the House rose for dinner. When the House resumed at half-past seven the orders of the day were of course called on in the usual way, so that the Christchurch Bill was shelved for the present sitting. THIS GUMDIGGERS NORTH OF AUCKLAND. During the discussion of the Truck Bill, to-night, Mr. Kelly proposed that those persons leasing kauri gum lands to gumdiggers should be subject to the provisions of the Bill, and included under the term "Employers." There was some objection by Auckland members that a Southern member should have brought this mutter before the House. Mr. Kelly replied that he had volunteered to certain Northern members to bring the matter forward, if they did not wish to do so. Mr. R. Thompson asked the name of the Northern member who had declined to introduce the subject. Mr. Kelly would not state the name. He said that at a meeting ot two or three Auckland members ho had volunteered to take up the matter. Mr. Thompson considered that i the names should be mentioned. Mr. Houston also objected, and thought that the gumdiggers should have mentioned their grievances to him. There were, lie i pointed out, many gumdiggers in hisconstii tuency. Mr. Rees said that he, as an Auckland member, had heard of the grievances of , tho gumdiggers, and there had been published in a newspaper in the north of ■ Auckland an agreement between gum- • diggers and an honourable member of that Houao. Mr. Mitchelson : "Are you al- , luding to mo, sir?" Mr. Rees : " It is the , Hon. gentleman I am alluding to." Mr. Mitchelson: "Then it is not true." Mr. Rees thereupon stepped forward and asked ; Mr. Kelly for a copy of a newspaper • which he had. Seeing till?, Mr. Hami lin, who had also wanted to know tho > name of the Northern member at whoso , suggestion Mr. Kelly had acted, exclaimed "Ah, we have gob the man now." Mr.

Rees suggested to Mr. Hamlin that he should mind his own business, and said that ■if he knew how to behave himself as a member, of that House he would be glad if he would do so. Mr. Buckland retorted, "You behave yourself." Mr. Rees remarked that he would reply to that, " Physician heal thyself." Mr. Rees went on to speak of the agreement which he had mentioned, and said that the member for Edon was con-

cerned in it as one of the firm of Mitchelson Brothers. Mr. Mitchelson : "I am not a member of that firm, and have not been for many years." There was some further discussion when Mr. Mitchelson re-

peated that he was not a member of the firm. Mr. Rees accepting the statement of Mr. Mitchelson continued bo say that complaints had been made by gumdiggers to him and to others complaining that they were compelled to sell their gum at the stores of the men leasing the ground to them, and to purchase, their provisions there, and he protested against any attack on the member for Invercargil), who, in this matter, was only doing his duty. An acrimonious discussion then ensued between Messrs. Hamlin and Rees. The former, replying to Mr. Rees, insinuating that he did not know how to behave himself, said that he remembered the example Mr. Rees gave them in the session of 1876, but he had not followed that example. Mr. Kelly took the opportunity to state that it was not Mr. Rees who had suggested to him that he should bring this matter forward. . He would, however, withdraw his motion, as he did not wish to do anything which would appear to be a reflection upon any member of the House. In submitting the motion, he did not have the slightest intention of reflecting in any way upon the member for Eden. Sir G. Grey thought ib right to state to the House that for the last two or three years the gumdiggers north of Auckland had constantly addressed him upon the subject of their grievances, and he had always hoped that an opportunity would offer of putting an end completely to those grievances. The member for Invercargill had told him the other day | that he had been addressed also on the subject, and that he intended to bring the matter before the House. If he had not done so, he (Sir George Grey) would have taken the opportunity of bringing the matter forward. Mr. Kelly withdrew his motion. JOTTINGS. The Bank of Now Zealand Bill was passed to-day, the cablegram received by the Premier from 'the Agent-General, stating that "the amendments in the deed of settlement had been agreed to by more than one-third of tho shareholders, haying been accepted by the committee. When the question was before the House Mr. G. Hutchison said that while not opposing the Bill he hoped the action of the committee would not bo taken as a precedent for future guidance. The electric light now supplied in the Wellington streets was rather severely condemned to-day by more than one member. Mr. Fisher said it was no light at all. For some time past, according to Mr. T. K. Mac Donald, the Mayor and councillors of Wellington have not been in harmony with the people upon any great question. Tho Local Bills Committee of the Legislative Council have passed the Auckland Harbour Board Empowering Bill. With regard to the petition of Mr. E. Hammond, late native interpreter of Auckland, complaining that he had been retrenched within a few months of the time at which his pension would fall due, the Petitions Committee are of opinion that he should have such compensation as he is entitled to under the Civil service regulations, but they cannot recommend that he be granted a pension. The goldfielcls and mines committee met this morning and began the consideration of the Mining Bill. Over 200 clauses were discussed, and various amendments made. The committee are to meet again tomorrow, and will probably consider all of the remaining clauses. Mr. Buckland considers that if tobacco shops are closed early, as is proposed in the Shop Hours Bill, there will be an increase in the drink traffic. There was a scene in Bellamy's yesterday afternoon, when, the report goes, two members had some words and at length one struck the other. The matter, however, did not proceed further. It is suggested by Mr. Shera in regard to the Land Bill that the Government should give leaseholders under the perpetual lease system the option of purchase on the basis set down in the Irish Land Purchase Act, that is, by paying for ib by periodical instalments.