N.S. WALES POLITICS

Otago Witness, Issue 3808, 8 March 1927, Page 29

N.S. WALES POLITICS

REVENUE SHOWS A DEFICIT. SYDNEY, March 2. The State revenue returns for the past eight months disclose” a deficit of £176,326. .GAMING -AND BETTING BILL. SYDNEY, March 2. The Assembly read a third time the Gaming and Betting Bill by 44 votes to 24. LAND SUBDIVISION. SYDNEY," March 2. In the Assembly, speaking on the Agricultural Bill, which is aimed at breaking up large estates, Mr W. F. Dunn (Minister of Agriculture) said that the taxes on estates over the value of £lO,OOO would range from 2j>d in the £ on estates from £lO,OOO to £25,000, increasing by a halfpenny in the £ for every £15,000 increase in value till reaching £130,000, when the tax would be 6£<L In order to give owners an opportunity to dispose of or put into use the surplus land, the tax would not be levied til] June, 1928.

TAX ON NEWSPAPERS. SYDNEY, March 1. At a meeting of the Labouji-CaucTl§~Mr Lang announced that he had been advised some time ago by the Attorney-general and other authorities that the constitutionality of the newspaper tax was very doubtful. He added that’ his reason for persisting with the proposal was to show the electors the restricted field in which the Government had to raise money with which to carry on the government of the State. Tlie announcement caused consternation among the members of the partv. , SYDNEY, March 3. The High Court unanimously decided that the Act of imposing a halfpenny tax on the sale of newspapers by the" New South Wales Government was unconstitutional, and the tax was declared" to be invalid. The newspapers concerned were awarded costs, which are estimated to be in the vicinity of £5OO. The court held that the tax constituted an excise duty, and . therefore it came within the province of the Commonwealth Government. The afternoon newspapers- to-day reverted to the former price of a penny per copy. Some of the papers have been issuing halfpenny coupons with each issue since the tax was imposed, and when the legal difficulties are overcome these will be redeemed.

Mr Lang declined to comment on the decision. UPKEEP OF HOSPITALS. SYDNEY, March 4. As soon as the State Ministry has agreed on a scheme for financing the hospitals it is proposed to give the Government power in the Hospitals Bill to conduct lotteries. These will probably be on the lines of the scheme riow being operated by the Queensland Government. , A further provision will be made by industrial contributions towards the upkeep of hospitals. The Bill will make it compulsory for employers and employees to contribute to the financing of the institutions. It will be introduced in the Assembly next week. WILD SCENES IN ASSEMBLY. SYDNEY, March 4. Pandemonium reigned in the Assembly to-day, when the Government sought the endorsement of the House to the Legislative Council’s amendments to the Liquor Bill. The Government was defeated three times, on the first occasion by 37 votes to 34, on the motion for the application of the gag. On the second occasion it was defeated by 37 votes to 35, on the Legislative Council’s amendment permitting liquor to be served with meals till 9 o’clock at night in restaurants holding wine licenses. On the.third occasion it was defeated on an amendment granting licensees the right of appeal. The defeats were due to the fact that five members of the Labour Party—Messrs Evatt, Booth, Stuart, Robertson, Murphy, and M‘Gir.r—refrained from voting. The Opposition went wild with jubilation, and there were choruses of “Resign,” “Resign.” The House accepted the council’s other amendments, and the final stage of the measure was carried bj” 41 votes to 39. \N OTHER GOVERNMENT REVERSE. SYDNEY, March 4. The Government suffered another serious defeat in the Legislative Council tonight, when Mr Willis’s motion to rescind the resolution referring the Family Endowment Bill to a Select Committee and to restore the second reading to the Order Paper was defeated by 39 votes to 29. COLONIAL OFFICE SATISFIED. LONDON, March 4. The Colonial Office has not received any communication from Mr Lang with reference to the recall of Sir Dudley de Chair (Governor of New South Wales), which is suggested by press cables. The Colonial Office is convinced regarding the Governor’s constitutional rectitude. PROPOSED LABOUR CAMPAIGN. SYDNEY, March 5. Labour will concentrate on a campaign throughout the State of condemnation of the Legislative Council, because of its failure to accept the Family Endowment Bill.