ANNUAL TAXING BILL

Southland Times, Issue 23331, 15 October 1937, Page 8

ANNUAL TAXING BILL

Discussion Enters Third Day COMMITTEE STAGES BROADCAST CONSIDERATION GIVEN TO BUDGET (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, October 14. For the third day in succession the annual taxing bill, maintaining the rates of land and income tax levied last year, was the main topic of discussion in the House of Representatives today. Members of the Opposition followed up the declaration of war which they made on Tuesday and as the opening of the committee stages tonight was broadcast Government members had to defend their own legislation. When the House met this afternoon another bite was taken at the seemingly interminable Budget debate. There were three speakers, two Opposition and one Government, and the contribution of greatest interest came from the Hon. Sir Apirana Ngata (Nat., Eastern Maori), who made a typically sincere and reasoned plea for consideration for the native race. Sir Apirana was still speaking at the dinner adjournment, but the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage) extended to him .the courtesy of postponing the committee stages of the taxing bill in order that he might finish his speech. SHORT TITLE DISCUSSED When the House went into committee on the taxing bill a marathon discussion developed on the Short Title. It was inaugurated by the Leader of the Opposition (the Hon. Adam Hamilton), who claimed that the Government had given no real indication of how it proposed to deal with the national finances in the event of a falling-off in revenue. There was a spirited reply from the Prime Minister, but subsequently the discussion lapsed into a fairly weary reiteration of the arguments employed during the second reading debate. The committee stages finished, the Bill was read a third time and passed and the House rose at 12.50 a.m.