PARLIAMENT.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 310, 30 September 1915, Page 7

PARLIAMENT.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. In .reply to Mr Poole, the Minister of Mines said tShe question of subsidising oil wells was under consideration. Before a decision was come to the qseution of employing Austrian labour at such wells would also come under consideration.

hi reply‘to Mr Witty the' Postmas-ter-General said he could not delay imposing the surcharge on letters for a few days, as the amount of taxation being lost was so great that he could not make any discrimination.

In reply to Mr Young, the Minister cf Defence said he was grateful to the Legion cf Frontiersmen for the offer of a regiment of 500 men, hut could not say at that point whether the offer- would be accepted. He had that day received a deputation from Scotchmen asking that a company raised by them, might be accepted for the front. These units were becoming more numerous, and he fully expected to be waited on by Irishmen in a few days, and possibly the Welshmen might be coming forward., Personally he preferred to have a national army of our own ,but would consult the Commandant on th c point.

In reply to Mr Craigie, the 'Minister of Defence said it was not the practice to give wounded men in England their full pay. Their pay accumulates and is given them when they leave the hospital. They are, however, provided with many comforts while in the institution.

In reply to Mr Webb, the Minister cf Mines said that in view of numerous fatal accidents which have recently taken place investigations were being made as to the quality of gelignite now in use in mines.

In reply to Mr Witty, the Premier said that as soon as the Finance Bill was disposed of he would make a statement a s to what Bills would be gent) on with. He hoped to bring the session to a close about the middle of next week.

In reply to M.r Pearce, the Minister of Defence said he was asking the Imi>erial authorities whether they would permit the establishment of a canteen at the front, where our men could be supplied with their cwn meat and other comforts.

In reply to Mr Isitt, the Minister said it was a misconception that the pay of wounded men was reduced while the men wer e in hospital. In reply to Mr Sykes, the Minister cf Finance stated that the trade circular issued by the Continental Tyre Co. had been sent out under the authority cf th e Christchurch branch of the Public Trust Office. The company was still under the control of the Public Trust.

In reply to Dr.'Thacker, the Minister of Defence said “next of kin” was the relative named by a soldier in his record. WAYS AND MEANS. In moving that the House go mto Committee of Ways and Means ot consider certain resolutions p-opa*a* tory to introducing the Fin a ice Dill, Sir Joseph Ward explained that c-v tain modifications wer roposed on the proposals made in the Budget. In the first place it was proposed to increase the tax Id in the £. This will mean an increased amount of £60,000. The Rill makes an adjustment of taxation on mortgages who now escape increase in the shape of war taxation. The increase will be in the direction of income tax, after deducting the amount paid on mortgages by way of land tax. The alteration will ensure the payment above what amount will be taxable under the cld mortgage system. It is estimated that this alteration will yield additional revenue of about £30,000. annually. The tax on beer is increased to a rate which will yield roughly £20,600, making the amount now payable in additional her duties between £70,000 and £BO,OOO. The Budget proherosene and petrol are removed. This includes mate-T-ere ptreme' bur-; 1 oau fees will net be doubled, as pr»^ --in r>,l nrv.

Commissioner will be appointed to go into the whole question of how revenue from this source can best be collected. The remission made will be as follows: Petrel and kerosene £194,000; bureau* charges £20,000; non-alcdholic beverages, £20,000. He was also of opinion that he over-estimated the revenue from the farmers’ income-tax, and this estimate was now reduced by £BO,OOO. These reductions totalled £314,000. This he proposed to make up by the following additions: One per cent! primage duty on imports, valued at twenty millions, £200,000; mortgage tax, £65,000; income tax on mortgagees, £30,000; beer duty, £15,000; or a total of £310,000. The altered taxation would yield an equivalent of the first Budget proposals, the wihole amounting to about two millions. The land and income-tax proopsals of the Budget stand. He asked that the Finance Bill be put through all its stages. The resolutions were adopted.