WELLINGTON NEWS NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9774, 22 March 1895, Page 5

WELLINGTON NEWS NOTES.

[by TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Thursday. MOVEMENTS OF MINISTERS.

The Minister of Labour left Wellington for New Plymouth this morning. He will visit the State farm en route. Ho will deliver a poltctical address in New Plymouth. THE INCOME TAX.

Some time since you were apprised of the demand made on mercantile representatives of British houses doing business in the colony for the returns of business, although invoices had not arrived. The following correspondence forms a pendant to the correspondence then published. It appears that a demand has been made upon a commercial representative of an Ashfield house for information from his books. The "commercial" said he kept) no books, that he merely took " samples" round, leaving the customer to deal directly with the home manufacturer. Hereupon he receives the following letter from Mr. McGowan, the Commissioner of Taxes :— " I am in receipt of your letter intimating that you intend to evade the law providing for the taxation of income derived from business which you are the means of transacting on behalf of your principals in New Zealand by not ' booking orders.' I hare to inform you that I shall, if need be, call to my aid all the statutory powers conferred by the law, to enforce the assessment in default of the information being supplied, and will apply for the full penalties provided for evasion and failure to comply with the law." POLITICAL. The speech of Captain Russell in Wanganui to-morrow night, and of the Hon. Mr. Reeves, are being looked forward to with a great deal of interest, especially the latter. People think to find in Mr. Reeves* speech some indications of bis relations with the head of the Government, and whether he will make good bis promise that if a stop were put to labour legislation he would resign, and descend into private life. The idea is that the explanation would [jive some clue to the history of the coming session of Parliament.

[Vt TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] The gold shipped for London by the Tongariro represents a value of £61,400. The Tongariro, for London via Monte Video and Rio, sailed this afternoon. She has an unusually heavy passenger list, there being very few vacant berths in the ship. __________