HOUSE OF* LORDS QUESTION.

Colonist, Volume LII, Issue 12774, 22 April 1910, Page 3

HOUSE OF* LORDS QUESTION.

A COMPROMISE POSSIBLE.

THE INCREMENT TAX,

FIRST READING OF THE BUDGET

(Received April 21, 11.15 p.m.) London, April 21

"The Times/ commenting on vague rumours bf-a. possible compromise on the House of .Lords question, says the temper'of the parties is unfavourable, but if the ministerial coercion suffers further diminntion' of, its majority without actual defeat, both sides may be ready to come to terms if reasonable means are devised to secure more power in the House of Lords for the Liberal administration. In "the House of Commons there was a flively debate, the Opposition, declaring that the Government's new phraseology did not exempt agricultural land from the increment tax. Lord Helmsley moved an 'amend-, meht specifically excluding all land used for agriculture. . . Mr Lloyd George declared that acceptance of the amendment would be equivalent to abandoning the '• tax, since land near towns would escape ; pt\\fmdnts altogether}. GJo call Ihis agricultural land was a mockery and a. sham. ..''-•■■ The amendment was defeated by 148 to 344. The- financial resolution was then automatically passed, and the Budget read the first time.