PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19867, 13 August 1926, Page 10

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

NOTES FROM PRESS GALLERY. (From Ode 'Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, August 12. SPORTING WITNESSES, Sir George Hunter asked in the House to-day that the Local Bills Committee should be allowed to sit during the sitting of the House. He explained that there was a number of Hawke’s Bay witnesses here to give evidence, and they desired to return without delay because of a certain important event which was to take place in Napier on Saturday. The reference was to the Hawke’s Bay-Wellington Rugby contest for the Ranfurly Shield, and there was much merriment. Mr Holland: A very poor excuse. BURDEN OF TAXATION. “ We have a Government in office which has been slowly but steadily shifting the burden of taxation off the man who should pay and lowering the wages of the men of small means in this country,” declared Mr M’Combs in the House to-night. Mr Coates: Wages are higher now than ever they were. Mr M’Combs; 1 am sorry 1 am not in a position to pursue the fallacy of the Prime Minister’s interjection. I would be ruled out of order if I attempted to do so. SIR JOSEPH’S LONG SUIT. “ Mr Speaker, I’ve been misrepresented, ’ is a familiar phrase to hear from Sii Joseph Ward. To-night, after Sir Joseph had explained away another alleged misrepresentation of one of his speeches, Mr Armstrong remarked that some honour able gentlemen had to speak about three times, and then they left the subject as plonr as mud. WORKERS’ COMPENSATION. Reporting on Mr Howard’s Workers' Compensation Amendment Bill to-day, the Labour Bills Committee recommended it to the consideration of the Government, as it embodies provisions of a similar nature to the proposals of the Government in respect to amending the Workers Compensation Act. KING COUNTRY LICENSES. ' The Petitions Committee has no recommendation to make on the petition of inhabitants of the King Country asking for legislation granting the right to vote on the subject of license or no-hcense, as a question of policy is involved. J. J. MEIKLE’S PETITION. The Petitions Committee recommends to the Government for favourable consideration the petition of J. J. Meikle, now of Auckland, asking for further compensation for alleged wrongful imprisonment SUBDIVISION OF LAND. The Minister of Lands (the Hon. A. D. M’Leod), in speaking on taxation in the House to-night, said, in order to solve the difficulties in the way of subdivision, they would have to go much wider than the mere land'tax itself, ft was llot . he said, that the same legislation should apply to the man who farmed his land, ami had the assistance of his family, and the city dweller who remained m town and visited his land once a year. When it came to a question of subdivision among the family they encountered and would always be up against the gift duties, uhicj made no distinction. Ihose who had worked the farm up should receive some concession, but the system of taxation under % graduated land tax woo d never allow thi*. ” I believe he said, that the progressive tax will be found the most satisfactory to bring about subdivision it it is used in a common sense way. it must be not only progressive as to amount, but it must be fa’ir in its application. It would be unfair to exercise compulsory subdivision within the first year, but it would have to be extended over a period of four or five years. THE MEMBER FOR OAMARU. Taunted by one of the Labour members with having been returned to bis seat, in the House by a small majority, Mr L. P. Lee said to-night that actually he had been sent back by the electors with a good majority, after he had had an enforced holiday for three years. “ They said what would happen if the party in Opposition got into power,” said Mr Lee, and it gave them such a fright—not only the people who had supported me before, but some thousands of others —that they said: ‘ This won’t do. We are on the edge of a precipice, and this man has got to go back in the interests of stable Government.’ That is why I am here today.” The Leader of the Opposition (Mr H. E. Holland): “ Why not let us have it?” “ I never got into this House except by an absolute majority?’ said Mr Lee. In accounting for his defeat in 1922, lie said there was a wave of feeling against the salary ” cut,” and he suffered for it, hut that was all over and forgiven.