GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18035, 8 September 1920, Page 5

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. (Abridged from Press Association Telegram.) WELLINGTON, .September 7. Mr HOLLAND noiicc of his intention to ask the Prime Minister the following quu.su on: —(1) Whether he will Uke i"teps to fiicilitato tho work of those Labour organisations which are engaged rendering assistance to tho women and children of Broken Hill, whose breadwinners are Wivorced from their occupation (metal mining) because they refuse to work under conditions winch are proved to mean either an . or coiurileUily wrecked health. \d) \\ hetricr he will cause the reports and statements of medical practitioners of «,C. Hill and Government medical Mincers reports of the Mines Department with respect to accidents, together with a statement of dividends, bonuses, and amounts credited to reserves by the Broken -Hill companies, t® be circulated throughout w Zealand, in order that it may to fully understood what the miners and minccwners respectively are striving for. To this question Mr Holland has attached the following explanatory note:—'The medical reports set forth that 70 per cent, of tho miners who have worked for 15 years underground at Broken llill show lung deterioration; that a miner cannot work for more than four_ years in tho silver mines there with a fair chance of escaping lead-poison-ing ; and that the infantile death rate of Broken Hill is double that of New Zealand owing to the transmission of miners' occupational diseases to their offspring; while tho mining reports show that the averujjc of accidents is enormously higher than Tn any other Australasian mine. The miners are striving for shorter hours in order that this_ record of disease and death may bo minimised. In a period of less than 23 years the dividends and v bonuses naid out have exceeded £25,000.-000, while the actual rash put into the mines was not more than £5C0.G0!" Mr MASSEY gave notice of his intention to move that on and after next Monday the House meet at 7.30 to deal with Government business only. said ho proposed to ask the House to dispose of a certain amount of minor business on Mondays. Mr MASSEY moved to set up a select, committee of seven members to consider the Civil L st Bill (No. 2), with power to meet a:iy similar committee appointed by tho Legislative Council. The Hon. Sir WM. HERRTES In id on the table tho report of the Pensions Department. Mr WILFORD made an anpeal for increases in old-age pensions and superannuation for civil servants. This plea was supported by Dr Newman. Messrs Witty. Isitt, Field, Seddon, Hockley, Fraser, T. YT. Rhodes, Young, and Parry, the Minister being specially asked to so amend the law that a widow with a small cottage should not. be penalised by the loss of the pension in consequence of having a home in which to live. Replying to Mr G. Mitchell, the Hon. Sir lIEATON RHODES said he was inquiring into the suggested amendment of the Soldiers' Pensions Act, with a view to increasing the amounts, and removing anomalies. Mr MASSEY said that a Pensions Bill would be introduced this session, but any increase in pensions amounting to anything like £1,000,000 was quite out of the question. The House adjourned at 5.30 p.m. EVENING SITTING. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. The Land and Income Assessment Bill as approved by the Public Accounts Committee, was introduced by Administrator's Message. On Mr MASSEY'S motion the Bill was read a first time. Mr MA.SSEY -moved the second reading of the Laml and Income Tax (Annual) Bill, which ho said had been fully debated a few afternoons ago. The Bill was necessary to enable the department to proceed with the land and income tax Mr VEITCH complaincd that no readjustment of the incidence of taxation had been made this year. Instead of collecting the land and income tax on the former rate, that rate should liavo been increased, so ;' la V^j"L r i nCh ° n i™ have been m adQ n Customs duties, hereby affording some nliv TT poorer classes of the community. Ho moved as an amendment:— That the Bill be referred back to the Government with a recommendation for a substantial reduction on Customs duties in the necessaries of life, also a substanKnll l ! lcrca , So in t,IG higher grades of the land tax, to ensure the bursting up of estates, and ensuring their acquisition at na V e ' P "? 0 ' and substantial increases on larger incomes and death duties. G SMITR d ?T Ut W , aS i seconde d by M r R. So pK £rv^ klh . wl, V la i mod «'at the Dartnf f L a breach 01 f **h on 1 . Part of _ the Government, Mr Alass-v hni? promised such proposals as were conmaidfesto. ° !Lmendmen t in his election Mr MASSEY said the House would con er. the amendment on its merits and re" cognise that it was a. waste of time b~c it cou!d not bo gaven effect to. It had been r i 11,9 Government had done lotoiflg for the poorer classes, but tho fact was that scarcoiy any "worker h*irl u« ni touched by the Government's taxation The thev° hn T a i WaS °i lly instanc <> in which the} liad been directly affected, and that only to a nominal extent. Tho fact was that there was no country in tho world in which the poorer classes got off so lightly as they *d in Now Zealand. this amendment ? !? C: " Caso 'P taxation which he was conhdont the people of tho dominion did not favour. It was true our Customs revenue was increasing, bat that wis due simply to increase ot trade and in prices of articles coming into the country. That however hardly affeetod the poorer classes! Ho wou.d Lx> glad to reduce the Customs as soon as.this could be done, but evervono laiew- that no satisfactory revision of* tho tariff was possible under six months' liard work by the dorrunioo's highest experts, and fcnat coaild not be done imless members -were prepared to stay tliere to Christmas. As to increases in death duties, ho was not gointr to givo secrets away, but the fact was the committee _ was summoned to meet to-mor-row moiuung to go more fuUy into that matter. Ho did not approve of an people dying to get our revenue, "but ho knew that these increased duties would be more necessary next year than. this. Ho emphasised tile point that tho rate of Customs duties had not bc-on increased on the poorer classes, amd claimcd that nothing he could have himself suggested could liavo more clearly demonstrated the merit of the Government s policy than Mr Veitch's amendment. Mr M'COMBS complained that the hgures showing revenue and expenditure il not truly disclose the financial position of tho dominion. The fact was that if tho revenue went on increasing for a wholo vear at tho same rate as it did for tho first four months, it would be found that tho Government was taking more money out of the people than the figures in the Budget would lead the people to supoose. All the readjustment asked for in the amendment cou.d be made thi s year without necessitating complete revision of.the Customs tariff and tho least the Government should do was to remit the primage duty, and the duty on tea. Mr JONES said any. one who objected to the increased railway rates or fares was agrinst. paying tho railway men fair wapes. The farmer did not object to meet his fair share of taxation, but he did object to a certain section of the communitv saying always, "Put it on.the land." "Farmers would have to pay an additional £5,000 000 on freights next year, and that must be'regarded as an additional tax on the farmer's land. Customs duties did not hurt tho workers, and when the House camo to levise tho tariff next year it would be very hard to discover in what way it can bo altered to reduce the duties on" the workingclasses. B Mr LYSNAR said that while he agreed with the main principles of the amendment he j-ealised that it could not be given effect to this session, and, therefore, ho would vote against it. It was no use harassing the Government merelv for ourposes Mr W. DOWN IE STEWART said tho wholo merit of the amendment was whether or not its proposals could bo put into operation this year. The Publ : o Accounts Committee had made p. special inquiry on this point, and.tjicy had found that this was impossible. Therefore, ho would xoto against the amendment. There were those who thounrht stens should have been taken earlier to give effect to those proposals, but tho members' visit to Samoi and the Prince's visit wero 'good and sufficient reasons why this could not be done. To carry the amendment would only result in confusion in our finance, and ho was not nrepared to take that risk at 'lio present time. Mr G. MlTfin'T.L said he was disappointed witi. the Prime Minister's statement. Rocardmg his taxation proposals it was clear there was no intention to increase land and income tax. Tliere was merelv to be readjustment. There was also no "proposal to piv the war debt out of war created profits. That responsibility "should

not he left to posterity, because posterity may have wars of its own to face. He appealed to the Prime Minister to take the duties oft woollen goods, as some slight concession to the poorer classes of people. j x S 3 , * 10 sould not support tho i ■ (Jovoi ' nni cr)t was respon- „ I ( "° r administration of the country, and ;t imust not bo unnecessarily hampered n that duty At the same time he hoped c nine Minister would set up a committee during the recess to assist him in fram- !".= , t-Mtoms tunff, so that the tariff to be dealt, witli immediately wie House met next session, n WILt'OKD contended it was f ° xi /l U - yor com mittees to find a policy lor the Government; therefore, ho did not appi o"w; of Mr Luke's suggestion that :i committee be set up to consider the tariff l„ : I**- , 10 Pnmc Minister to affirm by legislation tins year that taxation is to bo nercased on Hie Jiigher grades of land, oil larger incomes, and on death duties. Ho d-d not ask the Prime Minister to collect ' - /i°?'A UO Un ' S yMr " W]lat ,le wanted 'hat the principle should be affirmed at once, and he did not care if the Act did not coine into force until April 1, 1922. That unload V ° ar ° e landowner time to ~ HOLLAND said all our systems of v'ouM 0 " if" 1 f th ° OTons end ' and wo li - il " ave 10 reverse our methods, and s nice at the men with big incomes, before small men wore touched at all. viV'i 0 ; 15 a,m ' , a division was taken on Mr \ citch s amendment, which was lost by :2 \otes to 16. J ~ 0 Bill was then read a second time n.e PRIME MINISTER said it was iml por ant that the Rill should be put through all its stages, .is the department was anxious to have it put into operation. There were no new features m the Bill, it being merely a repetition of last year's Bill. It was then passe 1 remaining stages and 1 Tho House rose at 0.22 a.m.