PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20072, 9 October 1928, Page 13

PARLIAMENT.

SESSION ENDS TO-DAY. AUTHORITY FOR LOAN. SUM OF FIVE MILLIONS. I) JSrOSAL OF ESTIMATES. THE UNIVERSITY BILL. [BY TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON. Monday. A wide variety of subjects, most of them incidental to tho end of the session, were dealt with by the House of Representatives to-day. Tho session will close to-morrow. Tho Order Paper was cleared of tho local bills which were due for second reading. The Auckland War Memorial Museum Bill was passed and the Auckland Water Supply Bill was withdrawn. Tho New Zealand University Amendment Bill was passed with somo amendments. The Supplementary Estimates v,-rro brought forward and the Finance Bill, authorising tho borrowing of £5,000,000, and containing tho usual mis-I'Oiiaiu-ou.s .clauses, was passed. In the Legislative Council to-day the Native Land Claims and Native Land Adjustment Bill, the Auckland University College Reserves Amendment Bill, tho Local Legislation Bill, the Copyright (Temporary) Amendment Bill, the Refer ves and Other Lands Disposal Bill and the Engineers Registration Amendment Bill were passed. FIXATION OF RENT. NO MORE RESTRICTIONS. ACT NOT TO BE RE-ENACTED. [BY TELECRAFH.— SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Monday. Tho Government does not intend to reenact tho Rent Restriction Act. An announcement to this effect was made in tho House of Representatives to-day by tho Acting-Minister of Labour, Hon. R. A. Wright. Tho Minister said the subject had been very carefully considered by tho Cabinet, and in arriving at the decision mentioned it had been felt that even if a bill were passed bv the House of Representatives it would not go through the Legislative Council. Therefore, it would be useless taking up the time of members of the Houso in discussing it. Ho did not think anv serious difficulties would arise, but if they did the matter would have to be considered next session. # HELPING PRODUCERS. THE SUBSIDY ON PORK. CARRIAGE OF FERTILISERS. [|lY TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Monday. An additional £SOOO, bringing tho total vote to £20.000, is provided in the Supplementary Estimates in connection with, the bonus of a halfpenny a pound on pork which ' is exported from New S^ealand. The Estimates also make provision for the payment of £SOO as the guarantee of payable prices on eggs which may be exported. For the Dargaville demonstration farm a grant of £3OO is made. The amount which the 40 per cent, reduction in the freight charges on fertilisers made recently means to the Railway Department is revealed in the Estimates. In tiie main Estimates the Department of Agriculture had to find £70,000 to make up for the lower rate, and in (lie Supplementary Estimates a further vote of £27,000 is provided for. INCOME TAX COLLECTION. STEPS TO CHECK RETURNS. DEPARTMENT'S WIDE POWERS. [BY TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Monday. Tho rights of the Land and Income Tax Department to scrutinise the bank accounts of taxpayers v.ere mentioned in the Ilouso of Representatives to-day by tho Minister of -Finance, Hon. W. Dovvnie Stewart. The Minister was asked by Mr. J. McCombs (Lyttelton) if, in order to discover possible evasions of income tax, it was the practice of the department to scrutinise accounts in tho Post Office Savings Bank without first obtaining tho consent of the depositors concerned, and also if similar scrutiny took place in connection with accounts in tho ordinary commercial banks. The Minister said he had been advised hv tho department that in a number of cases investigations of the taxpayers! books, which were undertaken for the purpose of checking their returns of income, would be incomplete without a Scrutiny of their current accounts with a commercial bank, and their accounts with tho Post Office Savings Bank. In somo cases tho taxpayer had not in his possession. tho information or explanation required by the department's inspectors, and it then became necessary to apply to his hanker, merchant or solicitor, or to tho Post Office Savings Bank. An officer of the department authorised for the purpose had the right at all times of full and freo access to all lands, buildings, places, books and documents for tho purpose of inspecting them in the execution of his office. It was the practice, however, before application was made, for information from those sources, to obtain the taxpayer's consent. THE TAUPO RAILWAY.* EMPLOYMENT PREFERENCE. [riv TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Monday. That the first claim for employment on tho railway construction between Rotorua and Taupo belonged to those employees of the Public Works Department who had been engaged on tho East Coast lino was clearly set out by tho Minister of Public Works, Hon. K. S. Williams, in answer to a question by Mr. F. F. Hoeklv (Rotorua) in tho Houso of Representatives to-day. Tho Minister said after tho claims of these men had been satisfied consideration would be given to returned soldiers of both racEs who were in the Rotorua district. AUCKLAND'S WATER. • WITHDRAWAL OF BILL. JllT TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON. Monday. Th» Auckland Water Supply Bill, which ' •ought to give effect to tho recommendations of the Water Commission, and which fircii adversely reported on by the Local ' Bills Comuiitteo, was withdrawn in the - House of Representatives to-day.