PARLIAMENT

Southland Times, Issue 17756, 6 September 1917, Page 3

PARLIAMENT

WEDNESDAY, sth SEPTEMBER. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, September 5. In the Legislative Council this afternoon the Hon. 0. Samuel gave notice to ask the Leader various questions relating to statements published regarding the administration of justice. The River Boards Amendment Bill waa referred to the Statutes Revision Committee, and the second reading of the Revocation of Naturalisation Bill was set down for the following day. At 2.40 p.m. the Council adjourned. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30 p.m. ALIENS ON WATERFRONT. Replying to Mr J. V. Brown, Mr Massey said that so far as the Government knew there were no unnaturalised aliens employed on the waterfronts of the Dominion. BUTTER FOR SOLDIERS. Mr G. Witty produced a tin of butter put up by the Dairy Association, Auckland. He asked that the matter be inquired into with a view to ascertaining whether the butter was of the beat quality, and the tin full weight. He asked this because the butter was evidently put up for the use of soldiers, and he thought the soldiers should not be robbed. Mr Massey replied that knowing the Dairy Association as he did he could not imagine that they would try to get the better of the public. However, the consumer must be protected, and he asked the hon. member to send the tin to his office, and he would have the whole matter looked into. Later Mr Massey stated that he had received information which might furnish a satisfactory explanation, but he agreed that the weight of the blitter should be plainly stamped on the tin. RUMOUR DENIED. Replying to Mr J. V. Brown, Sir James Allen said that he absolutely denied the truth of the rumour that he (Sir James Allen) was going Home as High Commissioner. CAMP RATIONS. Replying to Mr Okey, Sir James Allen said that departmental reports showed that the cost of rationing the men in camps, exclusive of the cost of cooking and transport, ranged from Is 6d per man to Is Bd. From January to May the average was Is 7d. PENSIONS. Sir James Allen stated that soldiers’ pensions had now reached an annual cost of £205,218. STAFF APPOINTMENTS. Sir James Allen read a letter from General Godley in answer to the criticism regarding staff appointments, in which General Godley said that he had done all he possibly could to get staff appointments for all staff corps officers, excepting in cases where it was obviously necessary that they should first have a little regimental experience. THE NEW BRIGADE. Sir James Allen also read a statement from General Godley in which he said: — “You need have no anxiety about the new brigade. Immediately there is any difficulty about reinforcements it will, if necessary, be broken up. But I am glad to say that our casualties at the battle of Messines were so comparatively light that for the present, at any rate, there will not be the slightest difficulty in keeping up the 4th Brigade. THE FINANCE BILL. The House went into Committee on the Finance Bill At clause 39 Sir J. G. Ward stated that if members desired he was willing to agree, in connection with the tea duty, to put in the schedule an ad valorem duty of 25 per cent., so that the higher priced teas would pay a higher duty than the cheaper teas. The clause was agreed to. At clause 46, the Minister moved to increase the duty on cigarettes manufactured by machinery from 3s 6d to ss, and on cigarettes made by hand from 2s to 4s per pound.—Agreed to. Clause 52, amusements tax. Mr Veitch objected to this tax on the ground that it was unsound in incidence, and tended to increase the cost of living to the working man. If imposed at all it should only be on the higher priced tickets. A lengthy debate took place, many country members objecting to the tax on the ground of there being no sixpenny tickets in the country, and their districts would not participate in the exemption clause.—Agreed to on 1 he voices. Replying to Mr Statham, Sir J. G. Ward said that entertainments not given for private gain would be exempt under clause 58. On clause 74, Sir J. G. Ward, replying to the Hon. R. H. Rhodes (Ellesmere), said it was impossible to increase the amount of income earnable by an old age pensioner from £34 to £52, as there was a proposal this year to increase pensions, and it was not possible to still further increase them, as would be done if the proposal was agreed to. As the result of further discussion the Minister promised to review the general position of pensions, and if possible grant further concessions, as he would be glad to do. He would have them inserted in the bill at a later stage. The clause was agreed to. A new clause, 27a, extending the special exemption under the income tax in respect of dependent children of taxpayers, was added to the bill. A new clause, 33a, providing that the State Fire Insurance Office shall pay income tax was agreed to. A new clause, 33b, making special provisions with respect to the income of foreign insurance companies, was agreed to. A new clause, 47b, respecting the payment of gold duty to local bodies before the gold is actually exported was also added. A new clause, 65c, relating to protection for banks in respect of advances to clients for investment in the War Purposes Loan was agreed to without discussion. Further new clauses were added authorising companies and local authorities to invest in the War Loan. The House then passpd to the consideration of the schedules. The second schedule was struck out. On the third schedule Mr McCombs objected to the tax on tea, as tending to increase the cost of living. The discussion was interrupted by the dinner adjournment. EVENING SITTING. On resuming at 7.30, Mr McCombs moved to reduce the proposed duty on packet tea from 5d to 2d, and to strike out the duty of 3d on tea in bulk. Sir J. G. Ward said that statistics showed that the consumption of tea in the Dominion was 71b per head per annum. Therefore the tax amounted to 1/9 per head per year. In view of the fact that we had kept taxation at the minimum of £3OO, which no other country' had succeeded in doing, he thought no one would object to contribute this small sum to the war taxation, particularly when the money raised by the tea tax is to be used for the humane purpose of increasing old age pensions. Messrs Hornsby, Anderson, Veitch, Webb, and Statham, declared against the tax on the ground that it was part of the policy which the National Cabinet promised to reduce the cost of living, while so far from reducing the cost, this was an actual increase, amounting to £99,000 a year. Dr Pomare, and Messrs Wilkinson and Pearce supported the tax. Messrs Isitt and Ell urged that the tax be abandoned, and that the revenue be made up by an extra duty on spirits. Sir J. G. Ward combatted the idea that revenue could be got from spirits. The revenue from that source was steadily falling. After the discussion had been continued along similar lines till 11.15, Mr McCombs intimated that bo would not press for a

decision on the question of the duty on packet tea, which was agreed to, hut he called for a division on the question of retaining the duty of 3d per lb on tea in bulk. On division the duly was retained by 37 to 21. The remaining schedules were passed. A number of machinery' amendments, introduced by the Minister, were adopted, without discussion, and the Bill was then reported from Committee, with amendments. The House rose at 11.50.