PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20372, 28 September 1929, Page 13

PARLIAMENT.

TAXATION OF LAND. progress with hill. SECOND reading passed, division in the house, debate on unemployment [BY TELKGHAPIT. —SPECIAL RErORTF.iI.] WELLINGTON. Friday. Parliament was in extremely serious mood to-day, and sat ' far beyond its normal hours. Tho vital question of taxation occupied tho whole of tho morning and afternoon sessions, at tho close of which tho Land and Income Tax Amendment Bill, storm centre of threo days' discussion, was accorded its second reading. Tho Reform Party moved to havo the bill referred to the Public Accounts Committee, a course resolutely refused by tho Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward, in spito of the citation of his own precedent against his present obduracy. Tho House was divided on the issue, tho Government, Labour and one Independent going into ono camp, and threo Independents foll6wing Reform into the other. The Government survived the test by 45 votes to 27. Much criticism centred on tho value of the hardship clauso inserted in tho bill, it being alleged by the Leader of tho Opposition, the Right Hon. J. G. Coates, that tho provision was more or less of a "dummy." Speaking after tho defeat of the amendment, but before the bill had been read a second time, tho Prime Minister promised to consider amendments to that clauso in the committee stage, which is expected to take place next week. In tho interval tho Frimo Minister has promised to hear representations bearing on tho proposals, it being understood that that offer holds good until Tuesday. Instead of adjourning for tho week, at tho close of the afternoon sitting, as has been tho practise on Fridays sinco tho new Standing Orders wero enforced, tho House sat in the evening to consider tho fourth Imprest Supply Bill of the session. .As Monday, the last day of the month, is not a sitting day, it was nfecessary to vote Supply before tho week-end. The unemployment issue was raised on the bill by the Government member for Grey Lynn, Mr. J. S. Fletcher, who has several times expressed his dissatisfaction with the manner in which the Government is providing to meet the situation. Members 011 other sides of the House also took up tho theme, with tho result that tho llouso 'sat until a lato hour.

Particular interest was attracted by Mr. R. Semple (Labour —Wellington East), who delivered a vigorous and eloquent speech appealing to tho Government to give work to the unemployed and thus relieve tho present distress of many poor families. He was honoured with a warm round of applause from all sides of the House when he resumed his seat. " ALMOST VANDALISM." FATE *OF FAMOUS HOUSE. SUBDIVISION OF PROPERTY. [BY TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL REPORTER-! Y/ELLINGTON, Friday. "It is almost an act of vandalism," declared Mr. D. Jones (Reform —MidCanterbury), in criticising in the House this evening tho announced intention of the Government to subdivide the property in Tinakori Road, Wellington, on which stands the residence long occupied by the Prime Ministers of New Zealand.

" I could scarcely believe the proposal to be true," said Mr. Jones. "It is tlio White House of New Zealand. Turning the residenco into offices was the first blunder. I would like to see those people turned out to-morrow morning. I hope the whole,suggestion of the subdivision Will bo withdrawn. I£ the property is to be disposed of 1 would sooner see it made a gift to the citizens of Wellington instead of trying to get a few pounds by putting it on the open market and selling it. In any case I suggest the House should be given the opportunity to express its opinion on the proposal." MARRIAGE AMENDMENT. BILL BEFORE THE COUNCIL. SECOND READING CARRIED. [by telegbAnr.—rnESS association.] WELLINGTON. Friday. In the Legislative Council to-day the second reading of the Marriage Amendment Bill, introduced in the House by Mr. 11. G. It. Mason (Labour —Auckland Suburbs), was moved formally by tho Hon. J. B. (low Sir Francis Bell objected to tho principle contained in tho measure, and declared thjit tho Council had previously fjectcd tho bill. Whatever might be the principle of permission to marry a deceased's wife's sister it did not apply to a case of marrying a child of a deceased wife's sister, because tho child in innumerable rases had been brought up under tho man's roof and the relation bad been that of parent and child. He was not convinced that there was an anomaly in the present law, as tho mover contended, and he asked the Council not to pass tho mrastire on the assumption that it was to remove an anomaly.

Mr. Gow maintained that Sir Francis Bell's presumption would not" occur in tho vast majority of cases. The bill was a natural porollary to what tho law already contained.

Tho second reading was carried by 13 votes to 9.